In order to develop and retain highly qualified future leaders, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, CFR, Head of the Federation’s Civil Service, has ordered Civil/Public Servants in all Ministries and extra-ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDA) to give succession planning top priority.
She disclosed this information on Wednesday, June 20, 2024, in Abuja, during the 2024 Public Service Lecture celebrating Civil Service Week and Africa Public Service Day, with the theme “Educate an African Fit for the 21st Century: Building Resilient Education Systems for Increased Access to Inclusive, Lifelong, Quality and Relevant Learning in Africa.”
As one of the week’s main events, the Lecture, according to Dr. Yemi-Esan, CFR, has developed into a melting pot of information offering both traditional and modern perspectives on navigating the challenges of leadership in creating citizen-centric organizations and individuals.
She said that the theme for this year emphasizes how important education is to determining how the African continent will develop in the future. “Education is the key to unlocking the capability and socio-economic transformation of African nations,” she continued. “We can learn from the past and the present to prepare for the future, but it is not inherent in our ability to tell things to come.”
The HoSF went on to say that it is critical to give both the current generation of civil servants and the upcoming one the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in an increasingly complicated workplace. She acknowledged the collaboration with partners and stakeholders, particularly the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, in addressing the tool gaps and other challenges facing the Nigerian Civil Service. Significant investments have been made in the training, retention, and retooling of our workforce.
She underlined that the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP 25) places a high priority on talent management and capability building. Because of this, the Service is producing over 200 workers through the Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme (Lead-P), which is developing a new generation of leaders and highly skilled Officers. By the end of 2025, she says, “We want to identify, mentor, and strategically deploy about 500 of them to various posts as leaders, Service wide.” As a top talent program, it finds the most qualified Officers to represent Nigeria’s Civil Service in a technologically and skill-driven world. These officers are middle-level and belong to all cadres.
The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) Chairman, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, commended the HoSF for spearheading the FCSSIP 25 reform initiatives in a commendable, passionate, and inventive manner in their Goodwill Messages at the event. He claimed that these ingenious reforms had profoundly advanced progress in a way that would endure over time. “I challenged and cautioned your successors to build on these reform initiatives going forward to ensure the Service continues to develop continuously,” the Chairman emphasized once more.
Alh. Yayale Ahmed, a former HoSF and Chairman of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS), revealed that he has observed the current HoSF’s dedication to transforming the Service—which serves as the hub for the creation and execution of policy—with great interest and satisfaction. He wished the service a happy Week of celebration and called the implementation of FCSSIP 25 a game changer in the delivery of services.
The Public Service Lecture by Professor Peter Okebukola, titled “Preparing Nigerian Public Servants to Address Global Challenges, while Fostering Employee Engagement, Retention, and Job Satisfaction,” was the highlight of the program. He noted that in order for civil servants to minimize the difficulties of service delivery and achieve optimal performance in a dynamic world order, they must possess a number of skill gaps, including digital literacy and technology use, leadership and accountability, creativity and innovation, and problem solving, among others.
The Guest Lecturer praised Dr. Yemi-Esan, CFR, stating that her perseverance and commitment to repositioning the Service made it necessary for the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNi), Africa Chapter, to present her with a Certificate of Exemplanatory Performance on this occasion.
According to him, GUNi was established in 2000 by a UNESCO resolution to recognize and promote innovation in higher education worldwide. The university found that the HoSF has been helpful in assisting vice chancellors of universities in Nigeria, particularly when it comes to waiving fees for hiring people to cover skill shortages.
On behalf of the HoSF, Dr. Deborah Odoh, Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office (SPSO) in the OHCSF, expressed gratitude to the following individuals for their participation in the Lecture: Ministers, Heads of Government Agencies, Directors, Transformative Permanent Secretaries, Members of the National Assembly, and the British High Commissioner.
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