Tinubu orders civil service audit to improve skills, performance, and public service delivery.
He also calls for better data use and protection across all government offices and agencies.
President Bola Tinubu has directed the immediate commencement of a comprehensive personnel audit and skills gap analysis across all levels of the federal civil service. He issued the directive on Thursday in Abuja while addressing participants at the International Civil Service Conference.
The president emphasized the importance of building a more capable and responsive workforce, stating, “I have authorized the comprehensive personnel audit and skill gap analysis across the federal civil service to deepen capacity. I urge all responsible stakeholders to prioritize timely completion of this critical exercise, to begin implementing targeted reforms, to realize the full benefit of a more agile, competent and responsive civil service.”
Tinubu also instructed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to ensure the protection and accuracy of public data. He highlighted the need to align public sector data management with the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023.
“We must let our data speak for us,” he said. “We must publish verified data assets within Nigeria and share them internationally recognized as fruitful. This will allow global benchmarking organizations to track our progress in real time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage. This will preserve privacy and uphold data sovereignty.”
Describing the federal civil service as the “engine” that powers his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Tinubu praised the vital role of civil servants in national development. He said that in a rapidly changing global environment, the civil service must remain adaptable and focused on delivering results.
“This maiden conference is a bold step toward redefining governance in an era of rapid transformation,” the president said. “An innovative Civil Service ensures we meet today’s needs and overcome tomorrow’s challenges. It captures our collective ambition to reimagine and reposition the civil service. In today’s rapid, evolving world of technology, innovation remains critical in ensuring that the civil service is dynamic, digital.”
Welcoming the president to the event, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, expressed appreciation for his support, which she said has boosted the morale of civil servants nationwide.
She commended Tinubu for championing reforms and noted that lessons from past study tours to countries like Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States are already delivering results within the Nigerian civil service.
Walson-Jack pledged that her office, working with like-minded stakeholders, would speed up the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2025 (FCSSIP 25). She identified digitalization, performance management, and continuous learning as the key areas that will drive improved accountability, transparency, and service delivery.
She also stressed the commitment of the civil service to go beyond expectations by promoting a culture of innovation, ethical conduct, and governance that puts citizens at the center of decision-making.
