President Bola Tinubu has described Nigeria’s civil service as the critical force behind his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, calling for an agile and tech-savvy bureaucracy capable of driving national development in a rapidly changing world.
Speaking Thursday at the closing ceremony of the inaugural International Civil Service Conference in Abuja, Tinubu told over 5,000 delegates from Africa, Europe and Asia that civil servants serve as “the quiet architects of stability, innovation, and public trust.”
“Your role in this transformation is not a supporting act — it is central to the delivery of our Renewed Hope Agenda,” the President declared, stressing that “in the face of a fast-evolving digital and economic landscape, the civil service must remain agile, future-ready, and results-driven.”
Tinubu highlighted groundbreaking reforms including the digitalization of government processes, human capital development programs, and Nigeria’s first AI tool for civil service – Service-Wise GPT. He particularly commended the new UNDP partnership to upgrade Nigeria’s Public Service Institute into a global excellence center.
The President pointed to concrete welfare improvements for workers including approval of new minimum wage, salary adjustments, Pension Bond Scheme implementation.
“Our civil service must embrace innovation not as an option, but as an obligation,” Tinubu asserted, directing all MDAs to prioritize data integrity under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
“Evidence-based governance begins with accurate data and ends with measurable results. The time to act is now.”
Earlier, Head of Civil Service Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan thanked Tinubu for his support, assuring that the service is “determined to exceed expectations by embedding a culture of innovation, ethical leadership, and citizen-centred governance.” She pledged accelerated implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy (FCSSIP 25), with digitalization and performance management as key pillars.
The three-day summit, organized by OHoCSF with the Global Government Forum UK, marked Nigeria’s boldest attempt yet to reposition its civil service for 21st century governance challenges.
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