The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has signalled the end of her tenure, urging civil servants to sustain the ongoing reforms in the Federal Civil Service after she leaves office on August 27, 2026.
Speaking at the Mentoring Marketplace and the presentation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) Employee Self-Service Application in Abuja, Walson-Jack said the ongoing 2026 Civil Service Week would be her last as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
“This is the last Civil Service Week I will observe as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation,” she told participants at the event.
She attributed the progress recorded in the Federal Civil Service to the commitment of workers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), saying they embraced and drove the reform agenda.
“You did not have to make my vision your own. But you did. And because of you, this Service is different today from when I arrived,” she said.
Emphasising the need to sustain the reforms, Walson-Jack noted that their success depended more on the dedication of civil servants than on policy documents.
“Reforms are only as strong as the people who believe in them. You, the Civil Servants of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, are the reason the reforms have held. Not the policy papers. Not the circulars. You. And I am profoundly grateful,” she said.
The outgoing Head of Service also unveiled the IPPIS Employee Self-Service Application, describing it as a major milestone in the modernisation of the Federal Civil Service.
According to her, the digital platform will enable civil servants to access and manage their personnel records more efficiently, reducing delays and bureaucratic bottlenecks that have long characterised administrative processes.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, described the mentoring initiative as a key component of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 2021–2025).
Olaopa lamented the loss of institutional knowledge over the years as experienced officers retired without adequate replacement due to prolonged recruitment restrictions.
He disclosed that the ongoing Human Resources Audit approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would identify workforce gaps and provide a roadmap for rebuilding capacity across the civil service.
The FCSC chairman also advocated structured mentorship, succession planning and reverse mentoring, which would enable younger officers to share digital skills and emerging technology knowledge with senior colleagues.
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