PROTOCOL
Good morning, stakeholders my fellow citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and permit the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission; transformative Permanent Secretaries and senior government officials here present; heads of Service of the states, DGs and CEOs of federal Government owned Parastatals and Agencies, representative of the Chairman of CORFEPS, Ambassador Bulus Lolo, the President of the AANI, Ambassador Obi Okafor, representatives of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit; leaders and members of the various Civil ServiceUnions, Directors and staff of the federal and state civil and Public Services, esteemed development partners; leaders of civil society organizations; Contractors and consultants of the OHCSF, members of the media and of course, our esteemed stakeholders and citizens who have joined us online.
2. It is with a deep sense of purpose and pride that I welcome you to the inaugural Stakeholders and Citizens Engagement Forum. This gathering is a testament to our commitment to an efficient, productive, incorruptible, and citizen-centred (EPIC) Civil Service, one that actively involves the people it serves in shaping its policies and performance. Today’s forum, aptly themed “Strengthening Service Delivery through Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement,” underscores that engaging our citizens and partners is not optional. It is truly an imperative for national development.
3. Ladies and gentlemen, let me start by emphasising that direct engagement with stakeholders and citizens is one of the most powerful tools we have for driving transformation. In the past, the voices of citizens and external partners in civil service affairs were limited. Today, we are changing that narrative by opening
our doors, listening to your ideas and criticisms, and working side by side with you to build a Public Service that delivers value for every Nigerian. Your voice is not just welcome; it is essential to our progress and to restoring public trust. This Forum is designed to foster honest dialogue, shared problem-solving, and collective ownership of the reforms that will reshape our Civil Service for the better. We believe that when the government and the governed collaborate in trust, the nation thrives.
4. My dear compatriots, before we delve into our current efforts, it is important to recognise how far we have come. Just last month, during the 2025 Civil Service Week celebrations and our historic maiden International Civil Service Conference (ICSC), we witnessed a rejuvenation of pride and innovation in our Public Service. I begin by expressing my heartfelt appreciation to everyone, civil servants, partners, and stakeholders who contributed to the resounding success of those events. Your dedication and active participation made the Civil Service Week a memorable celebration of excellence, and the ICSC a landmark in the history of the Nigerian Civil Service, earning us well-deserved recognition at home and abroad.
5. My deep gratitude goes to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his invaluable support to the civil service. His support is a clear testament to the highest level of commitment to the growth and transformation of the Nigerian Civil Service.
6. The ICSC was in every sense a product of innovation, creativity, partnership, and collaboration – principles we must continue to uphold in our service to the nation. I am proud to note that the conference even paid for itself, demonstrating the power of resourcefulness and strategic alliances in delivering impactful programs. This is a shining example of what we can achieve when government collaborates closely with stakeholders: we create initiatives that are sustainable, well-resourced, and results-driven. Let us embed these same principles of partnership and co-creation into our daily work across the Service.
7. The 2025 Civil Service Week, themed “Leveraging Technology for a Smart and Agile Public Service,” showcased the progress of our reforms and the talents within our Service. We unveiled a newly remodeled Exhibition Gallery at the Office of the Head of Service, took time for thanksgiving and reflection on how far the Service has come, and even organised a Study Tour for Heads of Service from all 36 States and the FCT to witness reforms in action. These events culminated in the Rewards and Recognition Awards Ceremony, a glittering celebration of excellence in our civil service. I am pleased to report that the awards were conducted strictly on merit, in line with our established Rewards and Recognition. We will continue to ensure that outstanding public servants are identified and honoured for their contributions, as part of entrenching a truly merit-based culture in the Civil Service.
8. Distinguished guests, one of the most profound outcomes of our recent efforts is a welcome shift in public perception: Nigerians are beginning to believe in their Civil Service again. There is a growing sense that the Civil Service is awakening to its responsibilities and becoming more responsive to the needs of the people. This renewed public trust is priceless, and we must do everything in our power to sustain and deepen it. Engaging with citizens and stakeholders openly through forums like this, through the media, and through civil society consultations is key to sustaining that trust. When the public sees a government that listens and partners see their contributions valued, confidence in our institutions grows.
9. We recognise the crucial role of civil society organisations and the media in this process. Your advocacy and reportage help to keep us accountable and transparent. I thank our civil society partners for continually pushing us to be better and our friends in the media for amplifying information about our reforms and successes. Together, you help communicate our progress to the Nigerian people and also bring feedback from the grassroots that informs our policy adjustments. Public trust is a two-way street. As the government strives to be more open and
citizen-centred, we ask that citizens and stakeholders continue to engage constructively, utilise the platforms we are creating, and work with us to identify solutions. Only by working together can we achieve the improved service delivery and good governance that Nigerians expect and deserve.
10. Ladies and gentlemen, our reform journey is guided by the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), which is now in its final phase. As you may know, FCSSIP25 will conclude on 31st December 2025. We are proud of the many achievements recorded under this plan over the past years. From cleaning up our human resource data to automating key processes to building capability and improving welfare, FCSSIP25 has been our roadmap for transforming the Civil Service into a world-class institution. However, even as we celebrate those achievements, we remain equally focused on the future. Work has already begun on a comprehensive review of FCSSIP25, which will inform the design of our next strategic plan for the Civil Service. This successor plan will take us further on the path of modernisation and service excellence beyond 2025.
11. Crucially, the next chapter of our reforms will be developed with extensive stakeholder input. We will engage with our partners in government, development agencies, the private sector, and citizens to capture a wide range of perspectives. This aligns with our vision of unity and inclusivity no matter your location or role, you should have an opportunity to contribute ideas to make our Civil Service better. In fact, as we look ahead, I am excited to announce that we will soon inaugurate the Local Organising Committee for ICSC 2026. We envision a conference that brings on board not just public servants, but also more voices from academia, civil society, and international experts, all brainstorming on how to build a smarter, citizen-focused Civil Service. So, I urge all stakeholders to prepare to be part of something truly transformational in 2026. Together, we will chart bold new ideas for public sector innovation and showcase Nigeria’s leadership in civil service transformation on the global stage.
12. Before we get there, however, we must finish strong on FCSSIP25 – what I often call “the final sprint.” We have a little over four months left in this plan period to consolidate our gains and hit our targets. I call on every civil servant and every stakeholder involved to recommit with urgency and pride. Every reform we implement and every result we deliver in these final months will strengthen our legacy of excellence under FCSSIP25 and hand us a strong foundation for the next phase. There is no better time than now to double down on what works and fix what isn’t working, as we strive to meet our goal of an Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible, and Citizen-Centred Civil Service that Nigerians can truly rely on.
13. You may be wondering, what exactly has been done under these reforms? I am pleased to report that across all the key pillars of our reform agenda, we have made significant progress. Allow me to highlight some of the major initiatives and milestones achieved so far:
- Human Capacity Development: We have completely reimagined how civil servants learn and grow in their careers through a new initiative called ONCE-Knowledge. This initiative is revolutionising career development from the point of induction into the service to the point of exit. Under ONCE-Knowledge, we have introduced structured programs such as SMAT-P and LEAD-P for continuous training, integrated Artificial Intelligence (AI) training modules, and executive masterclasses for public sector leaders[12]. We have also developed a comprehensive Onboarding Programme to complement the Exit Management Programme. The latter prepares retiring officers for life after service. By investing in our people’s skills and knowledge, we are ensuring that the Civil Service of tomorrow is smarter, more professional, and ready to deliver on complex mandates.
- Institutionalising the Right Personnel: With Mr. President’s approval, we are embarking on a comprehensive Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis across the federal civil service. This transformative exercise – which is set to commence this August – will ensure we have “the right people in the right
roles.” It will identify skill gaps, redundancies, and needs, enabling us to recruit or retrain where necessary. President Tinubu himself reiterated at the ICSC 2025 the importance of this audit and urged all stakeholders to prioritise its timely completion. The data gathered will inform strategic decisions to build a high-performing, agile, and responsive Civil Service for Nigeria. - Institutionalising Performance Management: We are operationalising a Performance Management System (PMS) service-wide, marking a departure from the old annual appraisal routine. This system requires every civil servant to set clear, measurable goals and sign a performance contract with their supervisor. This system is not about ticking boxes. It is about instilling a culture of accountability and results. When fully embraced, the PMS allows us to tell a coherent story of what each department and officer is contributing to national development. To our stakeholders here, I want to assure you that performance management is making the Civil Service more accountable. We are tracking outputs and outcomes diligently so that government delivers on its promises to the people.
- Human Resource Management and Financial Accountability (IPPIS Cleanup): We continue to address issues in the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) to enhance payroll integrity and efficiency. This effort, carried out in collaboration with the Federal Civil Service Commission and other bodies, is yielding results. It not only saves public funds by eliminating waste and fraud but also ensures that genuine workers are paid promptly and accurately.
- Fostering Innovation: Another highlight of our reform journey is the emphasis on innovation in the public sector. Earlier this year, we organised the 2025 Civil Service Innovation Challenge, which showed that our Service is bursting with talent and bold ideas. We received numerous innovative
solutions from civil servants across various MDAs on how to improve processes and service delivery. Building on that success, we are now preparing to launch the Ministerial Innovation Challenge, which will run across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. The challenges are a platform for bottom-up innovation, ensuring that even the junior officer with a clever solution can be heard and recognised. For our stakeholders, this means you can expect a Civil Service that continuously improves and finds creative ways to serve you better, driven by the ingenuity of its own people. - Digitalisation and E-Government: We are rapidly digitalising our operations to create a smarter and more transparent government. To date, over 34,100 federal civil servants now have official GovMail email addresses, enabling more secure and efficient communication across government. The OHCSF is currently migrating its records and services to the 1-GOV cloud platform powered by Galaxy Backbone, as part of the Nigeria First Initiative in IT. This provides a secure, cost-effective, and integrated solution that preserves our national data sovereignty and enables different government systems to interoperate seamlessly. In line with our goal, we are on track to achieve full digitalisation of core processes by 31st December 2025. What does this mean for the average citizen? It means faster service delivery, fewer lost files, more transparency, and eventually the ability to access more government services online with ease.
- We have also introduced digital tools such as the Online Compendium of Civil Service Circulars, the Service-Wise GPT (an AI-powered help platform for public servants), and electronic newsletters, all available on our website (www.ohcsf.gov.ng). These tools are enablers of a smarter, faster, and more transparent Civil Service. The future of service delivery is undoubtedly digital, and we are determined to lead that future together.
- Employee Welfare and Motivation: A motivated workforce is the bedrock of effective service delivery. To this end, welfare has remained a top priority
in our reforms. We are working on introducing eco-friendly electric staff buses to provide safe and comfortable transportation for civil servants, reducing commuting stress and improving punctuality. We have been working closely with the Pension Commission and other bodies to improve the processing of pensions and gratuities, so that retirees receive their due benefits more promptly.
14. Distinguished guests, these reforms and initiatives I have described, from capability building to innovation to welfare, are not just abstract policies on paper. They are real actions with real impact, aimed at building a Civil Service that upholds the highest standards of efficiency, integrity, and service excellence. We still have work ahead, but the groundwork has been laid. I encourage everyone here to visit our official website, our social media handles, and other communication channels where we regularly publish updates on these initiatives. Transparency is a core value of this administration, and we want you, the stakeholders and citizens, to continuously monitor our progress and hold us to our word.
15. For our stakeholders and citizens, this commitment should be reassuring. It means that the Civil Service is cleaning its own house and insisting on the highest ethical standards internally. We recognise that to earn the trust of Nigerians, we must exemplify the values of professionalism and integrity at all levels. I urge our civil society partners to continue to monitor and constructively critique us on this front. Your eyes and ears on the ground help to ensure that policies translate into action. Together, let us uphold the rule of law and ethical conduct in our institutions, as a necessary ingredient for effective service delivery and good governance.
16. Dear colleagues, partners, and fellow citizens, as I conclude, I remind us that the vision of an EPIC Civil Service – Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible, and Citizen-Centred – is not merely a slogan, but a standard we must uphold every single day, including when we sing our Civil Service Anthem. Achieving this vision is a collective effort.
17 To my colleagues in the Civil Service, I thank you once again for your resilience, dedication, and openness to change in this reform journey. You are the engine that drives government; without your buy-in and hard work, even the best-laid plans cannot materialise. As we enter the critical final sprint of our current reform plan, I urge every public servant to redouble their commitment to excellence. Let us deepen our ownership of these reforms and take personal responsibility for their success. Be visible, be valuable, be relentless in pursuit of our goals. Step up and solve problems wherever you find them. Innovate, collaborate, and go the extra mile to serve the public. This is our moment, let us lead it, deliver it, and finish strong.
18. To our citizens and stakeholders, I ask for your continued support and engagement. We do not have all the answers within government. Your feedback, ideas, and even criticisms are vital compass points that guide us. Hold us accountable, but also work with us. When you experience improvement in service delivery, amplify it; when you encounter lapses, constructively point them out. Engage with our reform initiatives, whether it is participating in surveys, town-halls, or contributing to policy dialogues when opportunities arise. An active citizenry is the bedrock of a responsive government.
19. I also encourage our development partners and private sector collaborators to continue lending your expertise and resources to this cause. The challenges we are tackling are enormous and require all hands on deck. We value every memorandum of understanding, every joint project, and every piece of technical advice or funding support you have provided. Together, we are demonstrating that strong partnerships lead to stronger impact.
20. Friends and colleagues, in closing, the imperative for national development that our theme speaks of is real. No nation can progress in silos. A reformed Civil
Service that engages its citizens is one that can design better policies, deliver services more effectively, and ultimately make life better for the people. This is the Nigeria we all seek, one where public institutions truly work for the public good. Let us continue to break down the barriers between the government and the people. Let us institutionalise forums like this one, so that governance becomes a constant conversation rather than a one-way street. If we each play our part and continue to collaborate, there is no limit to what we can achieve together. I am confident that with the zeal I have seen so far from public servants, from partners, from citizens, we can build the World-Class Civil Service that Nigerians deserve.
21. Thank you all for your kind attention and for your commitment to this journey of transformation. May God bless the Nigerian Civil Service, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
15th August 2025