Federal Government Announces Verification Exercise to Confirm Which Ministries Actually Exist

Following the discovery of a government agency authorities allege had no legal existence despite reportedly operating like every other government institution, the Federal Government has announced an emergency nationwide verification exercise to determine which ministries, departments, and agencies are, in fact, real.

Officials say every government agency has been instructed to report to Abuja next week with proof of existence, including a gazette, enabling law, two passport photographs, and "at least three civil servants who can confidently explain what the agency actually does."

"We're not trying to embarrass anybody," a senior official assured reporters. "We just think it's time everyone formally introduces themselves."

The exercise comes after investigators alleged that a fictitious agency somehow navigated enough official processes to obtain recognition across multiple institutions, prompting fresh questions about whether confidence has quietly replaced documentation as the country's highest administrative qualification.

Civil servants admitted the announcement has created an atmosphere of uncertainty across ministries.

"My director called this morning and asked if we've always existed," one official whispered. "We've been here for eleven years, but now nobody wants to answer too confidently."

Sources say panic spread further after several agencies reportedly began holding emergency meetings to locate the legal documents they had assumed "someone else" was keeping.

Meanwhile, consultants have launched crash courses titled "How to Prove Your Ministry Exists in Seven Working Days," with premium packages promising expedited certificate lamination.

At press time, a visibly anxious government department had reportedly been asked to vacate its offices after investigators discovered its entire organizational structure had been copied from a PowerPoint presentation, while another agency quietly admitted it was also waiting to hear whether it had been officially created.