The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, has called on Federal Permanent Secretaries to consolidate ongoing reforms by embedding them within institutional frameworks to guarantee sustainability and long-term impact across the Federal Civil Service.
Mrs. Walson-Jack made the call at the 2026 Annual Retreat for Permanent Secretaries, which brought together top administrative officials, including the Accountant-General of the Federation and the Auditor-General for the Federation.
She commended participants for progress recorded in priority reform areas such as digital transformation and performance management, noting that these interventions have strengthened coordination, improved accountability, and enhanced service delivery across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
While acknowledging these gains, the HCSF emphasised that their durability depends on institutionalising sound governance structures and cultivating resilient systems anchored on core civil service values.
Addressing the retreat’s theme, “Delivering Results,” she led a comprehensive review of achievements under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2021–2025. She identified leadership effectiveness, structured change management, strategic partnerships, digital optimisation, and rigorous monitoring and evaluation as essential drivers of sustainable reform outcomes.
Walson-Jack also recognised the sustained collaboration of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), urging Permanent Secretaries to utilise the retreat as a strategic platform to deepen inter-ministerial collaboration and define the next phase of the Civil Service reform trajectory.
In a keynote presentation, entrepreneur and former Chairperson of First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, challenged participants to re-evaluate their leadership philosophies. She encouraged them to assume greater personal accountability and adopt pragmatic leadership models capable of translating strategic intent into measurable institutional performance and concrete outcomes.
Delivering a goodwill message, the Resident Representative of the UNDP in Nigeria, Ms. Elsie Attafuah, reaffirmed the agency’s enduring partnership with the Office of the HCSF. She pledged continued support for initiatives advancing digital innovation, capacity development, and systemic transformation within Nigeria’s public service architecture.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Mr. Abdulkarim Ibrahim, highlighted the strategic responsibility of Permanent Secretaries in operationalising government policies to deliver tangible benefits to citizens.
The two-day retreat featured expert-led sessions spanning governance reforms, financial management, public procurement systems, tax administration, as well as personal development topics including health, wellness, and transition planning for life after public service.
The forum also formally initiated the review of the FCSSIP 2021–2025 and the development of a successor framework designed to strengthen execution capability, reinforce inter-agency synergy, and deepen citizen-centred governance.
A major highlight of the retreat was the official launch of the 2026 International Civil Service Conference website.
