Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government has commenced aggressive deployment of technological innovations to transform the nation’s public service sector as of measures to discharged its mandate to the citizen.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan said this Friday in Abuja during the Award Ceremony of the Maiden Federal Civil Service Innovation Competition 2020.
This is as Dr. Yemi-Esan awarded a monetary prize of N7.75m to the three best were staff and team members of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; and one from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties among the 45 teams that participated in the competition.
She expressed optimism on the growth of Nigeria Civil Service, saying that the Public Service is the largest service provider is not deficient of the capacity to deliver on its mandate and that the “Present and the future of the Service is truly very bright”.
According to her, the fact that majority of public servants who participated in the competition were Officers on Salary Grade Levels 07 to Salary Grade Levels 10 is an attestation to her assertion.
Dr. Yemi-Esan disclosed that arrangements have been concluded on the establishment of a Service Innovation Department in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to be headed by a Director and a Service Innovation Unit to be headed by a Deputy Directors and which are to be established in the Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Departments of all MDAs.
“The circular to this effect has been approved and would be issued immediately. The development is expected to encourage innovation and prevent the suppression of ideas in the system,” Yemi-Esan said.
According to her, the government had realised the critical role which technological innovations play in developing global economy, and had adopted it as the strategy for repositioning the public service for efficiency.
She said that 168 submissions were received from 109 workers before the three best that emerged were awarded N3m, N1.750m and N1m respectively; while consolation prizes of N200,000 also went to each of the 10 teams that made it to the final stage.
Also speaking, the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola said the decision of the Head of Service to prioritise technological innovations in the public service sector, was very apt, considering its importance in efficient service delivery.
Fashola urged civil servants to take the initiatives and reform policies of the Head of Service very seriously, because an efficient civil service is indispensable to good governance.
Speaking earlier the Permanent Secretary, Service Policy and Strategies Office (SPSO), Dr. Magdalene Ajani, described innovation as an ingredient for economic growth and national development.
She said that innovation enhances performance, creativity and competition amongst civil servants and that the competition was organised to inculcate the culture of innovation into the nation’s work force.
She said, “In order to inject innovation culture into the Federal Civil Service as captured in FCSSIP-2020, the OHCSF launched Innovation Competition in the Federal Civil Service. The competition was designed to cultivate ideas, technologies, and promote enhanced service delivery, efficiency and productivity in the Service.”
Ajani also noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has forced several new ways of doing things on the world, and that the Nigerian public service sector won’t be found lagging behind in adopting technological innovations.