No fewer than 856 civil servants employed by the Enugu State Government on Saturday participated in computer-based tests (CBT) as part of the 2025 promotion exercise, marking a major milestone in the state’s drive toward a digitally compliant and merit-driven civil service.
The promotion examinations were conducted at the Digital Learning Centre of the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, and involved senior officers on Grade Level 12 and above, including those within the management cadre. The exercise, according to a statement from the governor’s media office, formed a core component of the 2025 promotion process.
Speaking during the exercise, the Chairman of the Enugu State Civil Service Commission (CSC), Mr Robinson Odo, commended Governor Peter Mbah for prioritising workers’ welfare since assuming office in 2023, particularly in the areas of prompt salary payments and the settlement of promotion and conversion arrears.
Odo stressed that the current administration had broken with past practices by ensuring that promotions were conducted as and when due. He noted that the 2025 promotion exercise was being conducted within the same year, unlike previous administrations where promotions were delayed for years.
He described the conduct of the examination as seamless and transparent, adding that the introduction of CBT represented a significant step in the ongoing digital transformation of the Enugu State civil service. According to him, the examinations combined computer-based tests with paper-and-pencil assessments.
“The CBT is designed to test the skills and knowledge of civil servants and to assess how well they have aligned with the transformation agenda of this administration, especially in the area of e-governance,” Odo explained.
He added that the decision to subject officers on Grade Level 12 and above to CBT was deliberate, as they occupy strategic positions and are expected to demonstrate computer literacy, adaptability to digital systems, and readiness for higher management responsibilities in a technology-driven public service.
Odo further revealed that the state government had invested heavily in training civil servants on computer compliance and digital literacy, noting that the promotion examination was intended to evaluate how well officers had internalised these skills.
He emphasised that the exercise was aimed at capacity building rather than punishment, urging officers who encountered challenges during the test to view it as an opportunity for growth and self-improvement. He added that the overall level of compliance recorded during the examination was encouraging.
“From my observation, I would rate the level of computer compliance at over 70 per cent. There were no major complaints, and minor technical issues were promptly resolved,” he said, declaring that computer-based promotion examinations had come to stay in Enugu State.
The CSC chairman assured civil servants that promotions would continue to be based strictly on merit, disclosing that CBT scores would account for 70 per cent of the total assessment, while oral interviews would make up the remaining 30 per cent.
Some participants expressed satisfaction with the exercise, describing it as empowering and progressive. A senior administrative officer, Mr Chidiebere Udoka, said the digital skills acquired through recent training programmes had improved productivity and efficiency across ministries.
Similarly, an Assistant Director, Mrs Ugwuoke Onyebuchi, described the CBT initiative as consistent with global best practices, noting that it had boosted confidence, transparency, and accountability in public service delivery across the state.
