The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs joined other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and international partners this week to mark 30 years of achievements during the Maiden International Civil Service Week, organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
At the opening of the first-ever International Civil Service Conference held at Eagle Square, Abuja, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, set an ambitious new course for public administration, describing civil servants as “the quiet architects of stability, innovation and public trust.”
Delivering a keynote address themed “Rejuvenate, Innovate & Accelerate!”, the President placed the Civil Service at the heart of his Renewed Hope Agenda, calling it the platform for delivering national transformation.
Key highlights of the President’s address included:
-
An immediate Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis across the Federal Civil Service to ensure the right people are in the right roles.
-
A directive to MDAs to strengthen data governance, describing data as “the new oil—its value rises the more it is responsibly refined and shared.”
-
Confirmation of approved welfare packages, such as the new national minimum wage, salary adjustments, and a Pension Bond Scheme.
-
The launch of Service-Wise GPT, a home-grown AI assistant designed to speed up policy execution and provide instant guidance on civil service rules and procedures.
President Tinubu also commended international partners like the United Nations and the United Arab Emirates for supporting Nigeria’s digital-literacy initiatives and called for deeper global collaboration.
He praised Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, for her “tireless pursuit of reform” and highlighted concrete achievements under the Federal Civil Service Strategy & Implementation Plan 2021–2025, including service-wide digitisation, continuous-learning platforms, and performance management anchored on clear metrics.
The Honourable Minister of Women Affairs, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, fsi, who accompanied the President, described the conference as a laudable step that will accelerate professionalism in the Civil Service. She specifically praised the landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to transform the Public Service Institute of Nigeria into a global centre of excellence.
Declaring that the gathering “must be more than a talk shop,” President Tinubu urged delegates from Azerbaijan, Canada, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, the UK, the US, and Nigeria’s 36 states to return home ready to infuse their systems with renewed energy and purpose.
“Civil servants are not supporting actors,” he asserted. “They are the central platform for the Renewed Hope Agenda—a future we can all look forward to with optimism.”
Welcoming participants, Mrs Walson-Jack described the conference as “a defining moment for Public Service,” noting its self-funded model, the Aspire Stage for young civil servants to pitch solutions, and pilot plans to digitally transform five state civil services.
With President Tinubu’s declaration, the 2025 International Civil Service Conference was officially opened, promising deliberations that will swiftly translate into action and strengthen Nigeria’s position in public-sector innovation.
ADEOLA KUNLE
