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• Calls for innovative, productive, results-driven workforce
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Olumuyiwa Abel, has charged the Federal Civil Service to take a leading role in driving Nigeria’s economic transformation and actualising President Bola Tinubu’s target of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Abel said achieving the target required a competent, innovative, productive and results-driven workforce capable of translating government policies into tangible outcomes and sustainable national development.
He spoke at the 2026 Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS) Week Colloquium and the unveiling of the CORFEPS Journal on Public Policy and Governance, held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, on Wednesday.
The colloquium was themed “Navigating the Headwinds of Governance: Centrality of the Civil Service”.
The HCSF said prevailing economic uncertainties, fiscal pressures and technological disruptions made it imperative to strengthen public institutions, improve professional competence and ensure effective policy implementation.
He stressed that the success of the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda depended not only on sound policies but also on the Civil Service’s ability to provide objective advice, implement decisions efficiently and remain accountable to citizens.
Abel said the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2026–2030 (FCSSIP30) would build on the achievements of its predecessor, FCSSIP25, with a focus on digital transformation, simplified administrative processes and improved performance management.
He, however, noted that achieving the objectives would require a fundamental change in work ethics, mindsets and institutional culture.
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, represented by the Special Adviser to the President on Power and Infrastructure in the Office of the Vice President, Sadiq Wanka, said national aspirations could only be achieved when public institutions effectively translated government policies into results.
Shettima commended CORFEPS for providing a platform for experience-sharing, policy reflection and institutional learning to support national development.
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In his keynote address, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, said the Civil Service remained indispensable to administrative continuity, inter-institutional coordination and the sustenance of governance across successive administrations.
Mustapha identified merit-based recruitment and career progression, stronger links between performance and promotion, evidence-based policy advice and accountability for results as essential elements of good governance.
He also called for stronger collaboration between CORFEPS and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to promote mentorship, preserve institutional memory and support serving public servants.
The former SGF described the experience of retired public servants as a valuable resource for governance and national development, commending CORFEPS for its contributions to public administration through policy advisories, research and publications.
Earlier, the Chairman of CORFEPS, Yayale Ahmed, called for sustained engagement between serving and retired public servants, noting that the wealth of experience accumulated by retired officers could help address contemporary governance challenges.
Ahmed emphasised the need to preserve institutional memory, encourage knowledge-sharing across generations and provide constructive policy recommendations to strengthen the Federal Civil Service.
He described the newly unveiled CORFEPS Journal as an important platform for documenting administrative experiences and advancing informed policy discussions.
Abel, who joined other dignitaries to unveil the maiden edition of the journal, said the publication would help preserve institutional knowledge and promote evidence-based policymaking.
He urged public servants, researchers and academics to contribute rigorous research and practical recommendations to address governance challenges.
The event was attended by serving and retired permanent secretaries, former heads of the Civil Service of the Federation, including the immediate past HCSF, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, and Isa Bello Sali, senior government officials and members of the diplomatic corps.
