By Grace Abe/Okon Okon
The Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, says the commission is set for repositioning as the human resource advisory engine room of government through a comprehensive strategic plan.
Olaopa said that the plan aimed to restore merit, professionalism and efficiency in the civil service.
He disclosed this at a one-day Strategic Plan (2026 – 2030) Implementation Planning Workshop organised for senior and management staff of the commission in Abuja on Monday.
He said the initiative was designed to transform the FCSC into an institution that not only handled recruitment and promotion but also drove competency-based practices, ethical standards, quality service delivery and digital innovation across the federal civil service.
According to him, the strategy aligns with national priorities, particularly the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu and the goal of building a one trillion-dollar economy by 2030.
He also said that the commission must urgently reclaim its role as the gatekeeper of public administration practice in Nigeria to effectively restore competency-based human resource management in the service.
“If there is therefore an urgent task for the commission, it is to regain its role as gatekeeper of the profession and practice of public administration in the federal civil service in Nigeria,” he said.
He noted that the reforms would help reset institutional capacity across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), while fostering a new generation of public managers driven by policy intelligence, professionalism and patriotism.
The FCSC chairman acknowledged institutional decline within the civil service over the years, saying that the commission itself had contributed to the challenges.
He, however, said that the 10th commission had adopted a reform-driven approach rooted in introspection and a renewed commitment to meritocracy, drawing lessons from the strong legacy of the civil service in the 1960s and 1970s.
On implementation, Olaopa said the workshop was convened to align stakeholders on the objectives and roadmap of the strategy, translate it into actionable outcomes and identify key enablers for sustainable results.
He outlined six priority areas of the reform agenda to include restoring the commission’s gatekeeping role, digital transformation of recruitment and promotion processes, professionalisation of its secretariat and adoption of evidence-based management practices.
Others, he said, include strengthening disciplinary systems, enforcing ethical standards and eliminating irregularities such as patronage and recruitment scams.
He added that the reform would also focus on improving internal operations through better financial management, enhanced transparency and strengthened monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
He urged staff to take advantage of the workshop to contribute meaningfully to the transformation process, adding that it presented an opportunity to shape the future of public administration in Nigeria.
Also speaking, Mr Henry Idahagbon, Commissioner representing Edo, Ekiti and Ondo, said strategic planning remained critical to institutional effectiveness in spite of public distrust about workshops.
Idahagbon advised civil servants to align with the Federal Government’s economic vision, stressing that achieving a one trillion-dollar economy would require their active participation.
“The vision cannot succeed without the input of civil servants. So, they just have to key in, ” he advised.(NAN)www.nannews.ng
Edited by Deborah Coker
