HoCSF: Civil Service Must Lead Solutions to 21st Century Challenges
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has called on civil servants across Africa and the world to embrace creative thinking and bold reform to address the complex challenges of the 21st century.
She made this call in Abuja, during her opening address at the inaugural International Civil Service Conference, hosted by the Federal Government of Nigeria in partnership with the Global Government Forum UK.
Speaking to over 5,000 delegates from across Africa, Europe, Asia, and beyond, Mrs. Walson-Jack described the conference as the launch of a movement — a movement of renewal, innovation, and accelerated public service delivery.
She said the gathering was a convergence of reformers, thinkers, practitioners, and doers, united by the belief that the civil service remains one of the greatest instruments of national development and global stability.
The HoCSF warned that civil services around the world, particularly in Africa, are at a crossroads.
She said the systems inherited were built for a different era, yet must now respond to climate shocks, digital disruption, pandemics, and growing calls for equity and inclusion.
According to her, the theme of the conference — Rejuvenate, Innovate and Accelerate — is not just symbolic but action-driven.
She stressed that rejuvenation means renewing the spirit, skills, and structure of the civil service through the attraction of young talent, building of leadership pipelines, and empowering of women and marginalized groups.
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Innovation, she explained, involves rethinking how policies are made, how services are delivered, and how data and technology are harnessed to better serve citizens.
Acceleration, she noted, is necessary because time is no longer a luxury, and governments must swiftly move from planning to measurable implementation.
Highlighting Nigeria’s reform journey, Walson-Jack outlined key initiatives under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP 25).
These include the automation of workflows through the Enterprise Content Management System, the rollout of a Performance Management System that aligns individual performance indicators with national goals, and the upgrading of civil service training institutions to drive digital capability.
She said these achievements are not mere aspirations but concrete deliverables aimed at strengthening the foundation of public service delivery in Nigeria.
The conference also spotlights international best practices from countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, and Singapore, offering insight into models that enhance e-governance, institutional accountability, and inclusive service delivery.
Mrs. Walson-Jack reiterated that the civil service is not a relic of the past, but the engine of national transformation, adding that the engine must be rebuilt with bold ideas, diverse minds, and inclusive purpose.
She also addressed the role of young professionals and reform champions in the system, telling them that they are not the future of public service, but its present.
She urged them to bring their creativity, courage, and conviction to the task of rejuvenating, innovating, and accelerating transformation.
