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*HCSF Says Reforms Partnership Also Open To Local Partners
President Bola Tinubu on Thursday ordered audit of personnel and skills gap in the Federal Civil Service of the Federation.
The skills gap will enable information to be generated on the existing vacancies and where the service is short of particular skills.
Speaking at the International Civil Service Conference in Abuja, the President stressed that the skills gap analysis will strengthen the Civil Service capacity.
He said "We can only guarantee the high-performance culture our country deserves by placing the right people in the right roles. To this end, I have authorised a comprehensive Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis across the Federal Civil Service to deepen capacity.
"I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritise the timely completion of this critical exercise to begin implementing targeted reforms and realise the full benefits of a more agile, competent, and responsive Civil Service.
"Accurate, secure, and sovereign data is the lifeblood of every reform we pursue. Data is the new oil, but unlike oil, its value increases the more it is refined and responsibly shared.
"I therefore direct all Ministries, Extra-Ministerial Departments, and Agencies to capture information rigorously, safeguard it under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, and release it swiftly for public value, ensuring the highest data protection and privacy standards.
Pointing out that Nigeria’s data must be allowed to speak for Nigeria, he said that verified datasets must be published within Nigeria and shared to internationally recognised repositories.
"This will allow global benchmarking organisations to track our progress in real-time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage.
"Anchoring these platforms within local or allied data centres preserves privacy and upholds data sovereignty. Upon this foundation of trusted, protected, and globally accessible information, we shall practice evidence-based governance, climb international rankings, and build a proactive Public Service that anticipates the needs of every Nigerian." he added
He said that the Conference must be more than a ceremonial gathering or a talk shop; and become a catalyse for real change.
"I charge all public service leaders and stakeholders to return to their institutions with renewed determination: to infuse our systems with energy and purpose, embrace innovation as a duty, and accelerate the implementation of policies and services that improve the lives of all Nigerians. The time to act is now.
"Today, as we unite under the shared ideals of service excellence, we commit to forging partnerships that transcend national boundaries, harness technology for the greater good, and elevate the civil Service as a beacon of hope and progress for all nations." the president stated.
He noted that the conference, which is a meeting of minds, is a historic gathering and a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation.
"This maiden conference, with the theme "Rejuvenate, Innovate & Accelerate!" is timely, apt and compelling. It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the Service. In today's rapidly evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the Civil Service is a dynamic, digital, ethical, and globally competitive institution.
"An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today's needs and overcome tomorrow's challenges.
Civil servants, he said, are not just the backbone of effective administration across borders, but the very essence of it.
"Your role as the quiet architects of stability, innovation, and public trust is invaluable. The Civil Service, as the vehicle through which the government delivers public goods, has steered us through economic cycles, constitutional transitions, and social democratic consolidation.
"This vision aligns with our Renewed Hope Agenda, a comprehensive roadmap for building a secure, inclusive, and prosperous Nigeria. At the heart of this Agenda is a Public Service that works efficiently and effectively for every Nigerian.
"A revitalised Civil Service is not a supporting actor but the central platform for delivering national transformation and the Renewed Hope Agenda, a future we can all look forward to with optimism. Your role in this transformation is indispensable." the President said
He thanked international partners, saying that their collaboration and guidance have been invaluable in building a world-class Civil Service that is efficient, accountable, and people-centred.
"I thank the United Nations and the Government of the United Arab Emirates for facilitating the Executive Leadership Programme on Leadership and Digital Literacy.
"Your initiatives have strengthened our senior officials' strategic capacity and inspired us to aim higher. We look forward to deepening our global partnerships and forging a shared vision that lifts every nation through mutual respect, pooled innovation, and collective wisdom."
The President also commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, for her outstanding leadership and tireless pursuit of reform.
"Her stewardship has driven the successful implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025, marked by milestones such as digitalising work processes, continuous learning initiatives, and launching Service-Wise GPT - our homegrown AI tool to enhance policy execution and efficiency.
"Under her guidance, we have seen measurable progress in Human Capital Development, Service-Wide Digitalisation and Performance Management.
"The landmark MoU with the United Nations Development Programme is a bold step that places innovation at the heart of public service reform. It will transform the Public Service Institute of Nigeria into a global centre for public service excellence.
"This partnership underscores our commitment to building a future-ready, tech-savvy Civil Service." he stated
Speaking to journalists at the end of the conference, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said that the whole conference is an outcome of collaboration and partnership.
"And so, for me, it's the way to go. And of course, when we talk of collaboration and partnership, we're talking of collaboration at all levels.
"So, if you listen to my speech, I also talked of collaboration not only with international development partners, but also local development partners, as well as professional bodies, as you mentioned, like the CIPM.
"So, we are looking towards partnering with as many as are ready to add value to the reforms that are ongoing, as many that are ready to add value to the work that we do as civil servants. Because, indeed, it is a great assignment to deliver on the national development goals."
On the skills gap analysis, she said "Okay, so, if you listen to Mr. President's speech, he did say that he has directed for a personnel audit and a skills gap analysis. And I can let you know that that will commence very soon.
"And the whole idea is that with that report from the exercise, we will know exactly how many more personnel we need, and what skills that they need to come with to enable us to carry out our duties in this 21st century."
Asked to speak on its possible outcome or the impact, the HCSF said "Oh, well, I'm sure you already started seeing the impact. We have shared our own AI part to ServiceWiseGPT.
"We expect that not only civil servants, but even the general public will use ServiceWiseGPT. We're expecting that from the discussions, the deliberations, and all that we have done in this conference, the public service of Nigeria will never be the same.
"It will be more digitally driven. It would be more reform and more citizen-centered driven. And we expect that as many that have come for this conference would also take back to their own public services a lot, a lot of innovations that we have seen here in the conference." she said
Demonstrating the AI tool, Service-Wise GPT during the event, HCSF said that it was developed in-house and very secure.
Among the benefits from survey, she said, showed that 73% of users saved up to 2 to 3 hours daily.
Delivering a goodwill message, British High Commission to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, said that the countries have much to learn from each other.
Stressing that he has been impressed with Nigeria leaders in the past two years, he said that reforms are already showing impact.
Speaking virtually, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina Mohammed, urged everything to be done to professionalise the Civil Service, creating space for innovations, transparency, among others.
Others who gave goodwill messages virtually are the former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the UK Civil Service, The Lord O'Donnel, Deputy Governor of the Virgin Islands, David Acher.
Before the conference drew to a close, past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation were honoured at the event.
Nations that took part in the international conference in Abuja included Azerbaijan, Canada, Ghana, UK, USA, Kenya and Morocco.