Abuja, Nigeria — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed the central role of Nigeria’s civil service in nation-building, lauding civil servants as the unseen architects behind effective governance and public service delivery.
This recognition came during the opening ceremony of the first-ever International Civil Service Conference in Abuja, commemorating the 2025 Civil Service Week.
Addressing participants, President Tinubu described the civil service as the “heartbeat of government operations,” emphasizing its fundamental role in stabilizing and advancing the nation. “Civil servants are more than administrators; they are the enduring framework upon which national transformation is built,” he noted.
He stressed the need to match capability with responsibility across public offices and announced the launch of a Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis across the Federal Civil Service. This initiative aims to strengthen capacity, boost productivity, and accelerate reform implementation. “For Nigeria to function at full capacity, we must ensure that the right talent occupies the right spaces,” the President stated.
The President further aligned the conference’s theme — “Rejuvenate, Innovate & Accelerate” — with his Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to establish a secure, innovative, and inclusive national framework. He identified the civil service as the operational engine for executing this vision.
In light of emerging global trends, President Tinubu urged civil service institutions to embrace innovation, ethics, and global best practices, describing these as essential for the service to remain relevant in the 21st century.
Touching on staff welfare, Tinubu highlighted recent developments such as the new national minimum wage, adjusted salaries, and the Pension Bond Scheme as part of his administration’s commitment to motivate and empower civil servants.
He also emphasized the strategic role of data governance, calling on all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to align their operations with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. “Data is the new currency of development,” he said. “When responsibly processed and shared, it has the power to transform governance and enhance national reputation.”
Commending institutional leadership, President Tinubu applauded Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, for her role in driving key reforms under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025. He highlighted innovations such as digital workflows, continuous professional development, and the integration of Service-Wise GPT as critical markers of progress.
The President also extended appreciation to international development partners — including the United Nations, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom — for their enduring support in strengthening Nigeria’s public service ecosystem.
In her response, Mrs. Walson-Jack affirmed that the Nigerian civil service must set the pace for national excellence, stating, “If Nigeria is to lead Africa, the civil service must lead Nigeria.” She also celebrated the conference as a self-financed model of innovation, made possible through strategic partnerships and private sector collaboration.
The event featured goodwill messages from prominent global leaders including Lord Gus O’Donnell (former UK Cabinet Secretary), UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, Deputy Governor of the Virgin Islands David Archer, and British High Commissioner to Nigeria Dr. Richard Montgomery — all of whom echoed the importance of a resilient and reform-driven civil service in national development.
By Enoch Odesola | June 27, 2025
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