- President Flags Off Innovation Revolution, Orders Nationwide Audit, Global Reform Push
By Queen Kunde
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared a new dawn for Nigeria’s federal civil service, calling on all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to embrace innovation, digitalisation, and data-driven governance. Speaking at the opening of the maiden International Civil Service Conference in Abuja, Tinubu made it clear: “Our civil service must lead, not lag behind. Data is the new oil and we must mine it smartly, securely, and strategically.”
In a bold move, the President ordered a nationwide Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis, a sweeping reform initiative to restructure the civil service for efficiency, accountability, and future-readiness.
“Let our data speak for us. Publish it. Refine it. Protect it. This is how we climb global benchmarks,” he charged.
Tinubu linked the initiative directly to his Renewed Hope Agenda, underscoring that verified, accessible, and protected data must now be the foundation for policy, service delivery, and governance. He also directed MDAs to ensure compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
The President heaped praise on Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni, for steering several transformative efforts such as the Service-Wise GPT AI assistant, accelerated digitalisation of internal systems, and an active civil service learning culture.
Walson-Jack, in her welcome remarks, revealed the historic conference was entirely self-funded through public-private partnerships, with innovation-themed learning missions already completed in the UK, UAE, and Singapore. She also unveiled the Aspire Stage a new platform spotlighting ideas from young civil servants ready to drive change.
“This isn’t about preparing them for the future it’s about empowering them to lead now,” she said to rousing applause.
International goodwill messages poured in from global leaders:
- Mr. David D. Archer Jr., Deputy Governor of the British Virgin Islands
- Lord Gus O’Donnell,former UK Cabinet Secretary
- Ms. Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
Every Nigerian state was represented at the event, with Mr. Kwanter Julip Genesis of Taraba State calling the experience “transformational,” and pledging to implement the knowledge and insights gained back home.
The two-day summit also featured a bustling innovation exhibition showcasing cutting-edge reform projects from across MDAs and the private sector—highlighting Nigeria’s growing appetite for smart governance solutions.
In his closing address, President Tinubu offered a clear rallying cry:
“Let this conference ignite a permanent flame of reform. Our civil service must rejuvenate, innovate, and accelerate for Nigeria, Africa, and the world.”
With this, Nigeria’s civil service enters a new era one powered by data, driven by innovation, and guided by a vision to lead on the global stage.