The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has urged public service leaders nationwide to embrace digital innovation, strengthen inter-governmental collaboration and base establishment decisions on credible evidence. She made the call on Thursday at the opening of the 48th Meeting of the National Council on Establishments in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Mrs. Walson-Jack said the success of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda depends largely on the capacity and efficiency of the Civil and Public Services at both federal and state levels. She described the NCE as the apex policy-making body on public service structures, schemes of service and conditions of service in Nigeria.

The HCSF stressed that decisions of the Council must be guided by objectivity, patriotism and professionalism, with the overall interest of Nigerians at the centre. She added that reforms must focus on building a more efficient and future-ready public service.

She explained that the ongoing review of Schemes of Service and requests for new cadres will be guided by findings from the Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis, PASGA. According to her, PASGA goes beyond digital verification to map workforce competencies, identify skills gaps, and provide reliable data for training, deployment, workforce development and succession planning.

Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, who declared the meeting open, described the public service as the engine room of government. He called for more agile, digitally enabled and accountable institutions to respond to rapid technological change, and commended the HCSF for her transformative reforms.

The Head of Service of Rivers State, Dr. Inyingi Brown, welcomed delegates and said their presence reflects a shared commitment to building a stronger, more responsive and globally competitive public service. She noted the meeting provides an opportunity to chart a bold course for public service administration in Nigeria.

The 48th NCE meeting brings together the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Heads of Service from the 36 states and the FCT, as well as senior government officials, to deliberate on policies shaping the future of Nigeria’s public service.