By Abdullahi Inuwa
In a historic convergence of Nigeria’s top public service administrators, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, today declared open the first-ever Retreat of Heads of Service from all 36 states and the FCT. The high-level event, hosted at Hillside Hotel in Katsina, marks a major stride toward building a unified, reform-driven civil service culture across the country.
Delivering her opening address, Walson-Jack described the gathering as “a unique opportunity to reflect, recalibrate, and renew our commitment to efficient public administration and transformative service delivery.” She emphasized the importance of intergovernmental collaboration in meeting the evolving expectations of Nigerian citizens.
With the theme “The Future of Nigerian Civil Service: Harnessing Federal-State Collaboration for Accelerated Development,” the retreat aligns with the Office’s 2025 reform slogan: “FCSSIP25: Final Sprint – Delivering Results.”
She spotlighted several innovative strides by her office, including:
- SERVICE-WISE GPT, an AI-powered knowledge assistant for civil servants;
- The Online Compendium of Circulars, providing digital access to over 980 policy documents;
- The FCS Online Academy, enabling continuous professional development for public officers;
- And the upcoming Maiden International Civil Service Conference, aimed at elevating Nigeria’s standing in global public sector reform.
Walson-Jack also hailed the recent study tour to Singapore with 21 State Heads of Service as a model of global benchmarking and peer learning.
In a strong appeal to state counterparts, she urged full integration of these digital platforms and reform tools across the federation to foster “a truly digital, accessible, and citizen-driven Civil Service.”
The Head of Service praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support of reform efforts and commended Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, for hosting the milestone retreat, calling the state “the home of hospitality.”
As the retreat continues, delegates are expected to chart actionable strategies for performance-driven governance and forge stronger Federal-State synergy for service delivery across Nigeria.
“Let this Retreat ignite a renewed passion for service,” Walson-Jack charged, “and a collective resolve to leave the Civil Service better than we met it.”
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