Civil service should not remain a conventional administrative institution – Olaopa
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, FCSC, Prof Tunji Olaopa, has said the civil service must reposition itself as a strategic partner in national development rather than remain a conventional administrative institution.
Olaopa made this known on Wednesday at the 45th National Council and Annual Conference of the Civil Service Commissions of the Federation, holding in Asaba, Delta State.
While unveiling a reform agenda aimed at transforming Nigeria’s civil service into a professional, merit-driven, performance-oriented and technology-enabled institution capable of supporting the country’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030, he disclosed that the commission had established a more controlled and transparent service-wide and directorate-level promotion system, incorporating online accreditation and computer-based testing, CBT, to reduce undue influence, manipulation and racketeering.
According to him, the commission introduced an online recruitment process for the first time in nearly four decades, deploying CBT to promote merit-based selection, improve transparency and make recruitment more convenient, cost-effective and secure.
He said, “These initiatives are gradually changing public perceptions of the commission, particularly its reputation for administrative corruption and compromised human resource management practices.
“I acknowledge that institutional transformation remains a work in progress, and that the commission is still confronting a gap between its desired public reputation and the actual experiences of some stakeholders.”
Describing this as an “authenticity gap”, he said the commission was strengthening its internal controls, administrative processes and institutional capabilities to eliminate opportunities for the buying and selling of appointments, promotions and career decisions.
He emphasised that lasting reform required more than leadership declarations, insisting that integrity must be embedded in the commission's everyday operations and organisational culture.
The chairman said the commission's five-year Strategic Plan for 2026–2030 would provide the framework for consolidating its reforms and strengthening its capacity to support the Federal Government's governance and development objectives.
He identified four major pillars of the plan:
– Restoring the commission's pre-eminent position as the gatekeeper of a valued public service profession and an institution central to national transformation.
– Accelerating digital transformation through e-recruitment, computer-based promotion examinations and the digitalisation of the commission's internal operations.
– Professionalising the commission's Secretariat to strengthen institutional capacity and service delivery.
– Institutionalising evidence-based practices, scientific methodologies and international best practices in strategic planning, change management and administrative operations.
Olaopa said the reforms would be pursued through stronger institutional discipline, improved performance management and more efficient bureaucratic processes.
Calls for stronger partnerships with state commissions
A major priority, he said, was extending the benefits of federal civil service reforms to state and local government institutions.
He argued that Nigeria's ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030 could not be achieved through Federal Government initiatives alone, stressing that state and local governments were indispensable to national economic transformation.
According to him, subnational governments were closer to citizens and constituted critical economic corridors whose contributions must be strengthened through professional and competency-based public service systems.
He therefore urged the FCSC to establish strategic partnerships with state civil service commissions and support their participation in implementing the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan.
Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, called for far-reaching institutional reforms, digital transformation and a change in workplace culture to build a more efficient, professional and future-ready civil service in Nigeria.
Speaking on the theme, “Towards a Future-Ready Civil Service: The Role of Institutional Re-Engineering, Reputation Management and Culture Change in the Civil Service Commissions in Nigeria,” Oborevwori described the civil service as the backbone of government, responsible for translating policies into action and sustaining public service delivery.
He said the effectiveness of the public service depended on strong institutions, competent personnel and a workplace culture anchored on professionalism, integrity and accountability.
The governor noted that the rapid advancement of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, had made it imperative for the civil service to embrace innovation, modernise its operations and equip personnel with the skills required to meet emerging demands.
According to him, strengthening public institutions, promoting merit and fairness, protecting the reputation of the service and fostering a culture that rewards diligence, innovation and productivity were critical to achieving a responsive and efficient public administration.
Oborevwori said the Delta State Government recognised that achieving its development objectives required a competent, motivated and well-equipped workforce.
He explained that through the MORE Agenda, his administration was investing in capacity building, digital transformation, staff welfare and improved working conditions to enhance the efficiency of the state's public service.
He also reaffirmed his administration's commitment to career progression and professional development, noting that the quality of public service delivery depended significantly on the competence and motivation of the personnel responsible for it.
The governor urged participants at the meeting to use the opportunity to exchange ideas, address common challenges and develop practical recommendations for strengthening civil service commissions across the country.
The Chairman of the Delta State Civil Service Commission, Noble Lady (Chief) Roseline Eno Amioku, advocated far-reaching institutional reforms, improved reputation management and a change in work culture to reposition Nigeria's civil service for greater efficiency, innovation and productivity.
She described the gathering as a significant opportunity for administrative leaders across the country to chart a new course for the Nigerian public service.
She said the traditional perception of the civil service as merely a bureaucratic machinery for implementing government policies must give way to a more dynamic institution driven by innovation, national development and efficient service delivery.
According to her, the Nigerian civil service must urgently confront challenges including capacity gaps, bureaucratic bottlenecks, negative public perception, corruption concerns and resistance to change.
She warned that civil service commissions, as institutions responsible for recruitment, promotion, discipline and ethical standards, must embrace reforms or risk becoming irrelevant in a rapidly changing administrative environment.
Amioku noted that Delta State had made institutional reform a priority under Governor Sheriff Oborevwori's MORE Agenda, which is anchored on Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security.
She particularly highlighted the Realistic Reforms pillar, which seeks to strengthen public institutions, improve the capabilities of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, enhance staff productivity and make public service delivery more efficient and responsive.
She disclosed that the Delta State Civil Service Commission had embarked on several initiatives to improve its operations, including digitalisation, staff capacity building, transparent promotion examinations, intensive staff monitoring, physical staff verification and certificate screening.
The commission, she said, was committed to ensuring that its processes were efficient, transparent, fair and equitable.
“Our belief is that a Civil Service Commission must not just be a referee; it must be a partner in the productivity of the workforce,” she stated.
Civil service should not remain a conventional administrative institution – Olaopa