By Ajibola Olaide, JKNewsMedia Correspondent
PRESIDENT BOLA Tinubu has affirmed the Nigerian civil service as the cornerstone of effective governance, emphasising its role as the primary mechanism for delivering public services and implementing national programmes.
Addressing delegates at the maiden International Civil Service Conference in Abuja, part of the 2025 Civil Service Week, Tinubu said the civil service represents the very essence of administration, describing civil servants as the “quiet architects of stability, innovation, and public trust.”
Underpinning the need for a high-performance culture within public institutions, the President announced the authorisation of a comprehensive Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis across the federal civil service.
The audit, he explained, aims to deepen institutional capacity by ensuring that appropriately skilled professionals occupy critical roles.
He urged stakeholders to complete the exercise promptly to facilitate targeted reforms.
“The Civil Service has steered us through economic cycles, constitutional transitions, and social democratic consolidation,” Tinubu stated.
“Your leadership remains crucial in modernising and fortifying the Civil Service for generations unborn.”
The President said the theme of the conference, Rejuvenate, Innovate & Accelerate, embodied the government’s ambition to reimagine the public service within the framework of digital transformation and global competitiveness.
He stressed that innovation would enable the Service to remain dynamic, ethical, and responsive in a fast-changing world.
Highlighting his administration’s commitment to workforce welfare, Tinubu cited several policy initiatives, including the new national minimum wage, consequential salary adjustments, and the approved Pension Bond Scheme, as clear steps to enhance staff morale and productivity.
Calling for rigorous data management across all government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, Tinubu stressed that accurate and secure information was vital for evidence-based governance.
He referenced the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 as the legal framework for ensuring data security and urged institutions to publish verified datasets for national and international use.
He said, “Data is the new oil, but unlike oil, its value increases the more it is refined and responsibly shared. We must let our data speak for us.”
Commending the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the President acknowledged her efforts in executing the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025.
He highlighted the digitisation of workflows, ongoing learning initiatives, and the launch of Service-Wise GPT as key achievements.
Tinubu also expressed appreciation to international partners, including the United Nations, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, for their support in enhancing Nigeria’s civil service capacity.
In her remarks, Walson-Jack stressed the centrality of the civil service to national development and noted the self-funded nature of the conference, attributing its success to strategic partnerships and strong corporate support.
Goodwill messages were delivered by Rt Hon. The Lord O’Donnell, former UK Cabinet Secretary, Amina Mohammed, UN Deputy Secretary-General, David DaCosta Archer Jnr, Deputy Governor of the Virgin Islands, and Dr Richard Montgomery, British High Commissioner to Nigeria.
