By Emmanuel Obisue
Federal Government has declared that citizen and stakeholder engagement will be at the heart of Nigeria’s ongoing civil service reforms, alongside an ambitious pledge to achieve full digitalization of core processes by December 31, 2025.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack made the announcement during the inaugural Stakeholders and Citizens Engagement Forum in Abuja on Friday, pledging that “public trust is priceless” and must be sustained through openness and collaboration.
The event, attended by senior government officials, state heads of service, civil society leaders, development partners, and members of the media, focused on the theme “Strengthening Civil Service Delivery through Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement”. The Head of Service said the forum was a “testament to our commitment to an efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centered civil service,” adding that Nigerians are begining to believe in the civil service again.
“Your voice is not just welcomed, it is essential to our progress and to restoring public trust. This forum is designed to foster honest dialogue, shared problem solving and collective ownership of the reforms that will reshape our civil service for the better,” Walson-Jack harped.
She outlined key gains from the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, FCSSIP25, including the career-long training initiative, nationwide personnel audit to ensure “the right people in the right roles,” performance management system replacing outdated appraisals, payroll integrity measures, and a wave of digitalization that has already given over 34,000 civil servants official government emails.
The Head of Service also confirmed that all core processes are on track to be fully digitized by the December deadline, enabling faster service delivery, fewer lost files, and easier online access to government services. Other reforms include innovation challenges across ministries, improved staff welfare, improved pension and healthcare processing for retirees.
Commending the media and civil society for amplifying the civil service reforms and providing grassroots feedback, she urged stakeholders to “continue to engage constructively” and help shape the successor plan to FCSSIP25.
She disclosed that given the success of the 2025 edition, preparations are already underway for the 2026 International Civil Service Conference, envisioned as “truly transformational” with anticipated participation from public servants, academia, civil society, and global experts.
“As we strive to meet our goal of an efficient, productive, incorruptible and citizen-centered civil service, every reform we implement and every result we deliver in these final months will strengthen our legacy of excellence,” she concluded.
