KEY POINTS
- Civil service chiefs and CIPM pledged to modernize Nigeria’s public service.
- HCSF Walson-Jack urged officials to turn conference ideas into real reforms.
- CIPM will hold its 58th conference in Abuja in September 2026.
Nigeria’s top civil service leaders and the country’s HR regulator have pledged to modernize the public service, betting on professionalism, technology and institutional reform. The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, made the commitment alongside state service chiefs at a dinner in Abuja. Moreover, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria hosted the event to push the reform agenda.
Turning conference talk into reform
The 2026 International Civil Service Conference had drawn heads of service and permanent secretaries from across the federation to Abuja. Meanwhile, Walson-Jack urged officials to convert its ideas into concrete change. Specifically, she asked heads of service from the 36 states and the FCT to take the lessons home. “Let conversations become action, lessons become systems, and inspiration become measurable improvements in service delivery,” she said.
She also played down the formality of the gathering. Indeed, she argued that some of the best reforms start informally. “Some of the best reform ideas do not always come from formal sessions,” she said, pointing to the value of candid exchanges between peers. Therefore, she framed the dinner as a working session rather than a social one.
A landmark for the HR profession
CIPM President Ahmed Ladan Gobir hailed the recent recognition of CIPM certification within the federal civil service. According to him, the decision marks a turning point for human resource management in Nigeria. “This landmark recognition is a powerful statement that professionalism matters, competence matters, and people management matters in nation-building,” he said. CIPM is the statutory regulator of human resource practice in Nigeria, established by law in 2004.
Gobir praised Walson-Jack’s leadership and saluted heads of service for their resilience. Additionally, he announced that CIPM would hold its 58th international conference in Abuja from September 21 to 24, 2026, under the theme “Repositioning for Value and Impact.”
A defining moment for the public service
Other speakers pressed for urgency. Fatima Sugra Mahmood, permanent secretary at the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, said the public service had reached a defining moment. Specifically, she warned that an old bureaucratic culture cannot keep pace with new technology, a changing workforce and rising public expectations.
“The civil service can no longer afford to move at the speed of yesterday in a world already operating in tomorrow,” Mahmood said. However, she expressed optimism, citing a growing appetite for professionalism and accountability among public servants. A faster public service would speed up everything from permits to payments for ordinary Nigerians.
The dinner also featured the second CIPM Special Recognition Awards, which honored the Lagos, Ogun, Kwara and FCT services for backing CIPM membership drives. Together, the speeches and awards underscored a shared push for a more accountable public service. Reform advocates say a professional, technology-driven service is key to restoring public trust in government.
