Tinubu Launches Nationwide Civil Service Audit, Champions Innovation for ‘Right People in Right Roles.
By Raymond Enoch
In a decisive move to modernize Nigeria’s public sector, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive nationwide Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis across the Federal Civil Service. The directive, unveiled at the maiden International Civil Service Conference at Eagle Square, Abuja, underscores Tinubu’s commitment to positioning the civil service as a dynamic, ethical, and digitally advanced engine of national development.
“This conference’s theme, ‘Rejuvenate, Innovate & Accelerate!’, speaks to our collective ambition,” Tinubu stated, addressing an audience of global dignitaries, public sector leaders, and reform advocates. “Innovation is now a duty. The Civil Service must be dynamic, ethical, and future-ready.”
The President emphasized the need to match talent to task, declaring that every ministry, department, and agency (MDA) must support the audit to ensure “the right people are in the right roles.” He further directed compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, noting: “Data is the new oil, but unlike oil, it becomes more valuable when refined and shared for public good.”
Tinubu hailed the leadership of Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, for steering reform efforts through initiatives like the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 and the development of Service-Wise GPT, an AI-powered assistant designed to provide accurate information on civil service rules and policies.
The conference, which drew delegates from over ten countries and all 36 Nigerian states, featured several high-profile goodwill messages, including from UN Deputy Secretary-General Ms. Amina Mohammed, Lord Gus O’Donnell, former UK Cabinet Secretary, and Mr. David D. Archer Jr., Deputy Governor of the British Virgin Islands.
In her welcome address, Mrs. Walson-Jack declared, “If Nigeria must lead Africa, our Civil Service must lead the way,” highlighting study tours to global best-practice nations like Singapore, the UK, and the UAE. She also unveiled The Aspire Stage, a platform for young civil servants to pitch transformative ideas for the future of public service.
Among state delegates, Mr. Kwanter Julip Genesis, representing Taraba State, called the conference “mind-blowing and impactful,” vowing to drive homegrown reforms in his state’s civil service.
The event also saw the signing of a transformative MoU with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to digitize five state civil services and elevate the Public Service Institute of Nigeria into a global centre of excellence.
Closing the two-day gathering, President Tinubu issued a challenge: “This must not be a talk shop. It must catalyse real change. The time to act is now.”
