*Photo:Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni (seated middle) in a group photograph with the Heads of Service of the States and FCT during a Study Tour to the Federal Civil Service from Monday, 23rd to Tuesday, 24th June 2025 in Abuja*
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF),Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack has charged
State Heads of Civil Service on improved service delivery, agile processes, digitalisation, and a
motivated workforce.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday on Day 1 of the Study Tour for State Heads of Civil Service, she told them that “We are in the final stretch of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP 25). Our chosen theme for this phase, “Final Sprint: Delivering Results”, is both a call to action and a commitment to outcomes. A sprint demands not just speed, but precision, stamina, and resolve. I urge each of you to fully align your state-level priorities, ensuring that reforms reach every desk, department, and district.”
Mrs Walson-Jack added that “This is also the “Year of Accomplishment”, a year not for promises, but for results. The Nigerian people are watching. Let them see evidence of our progress: in improved service delivery, agile processes, digitalisation, and a
motivated workforce.”
She assured them that “If you require policy direction, training, innovation support or technical collaboration from the centre, know that my office stands ready. This is a shared mission. We succeed together or not at all. ”
Read her full speech below:
ADDRESS BY THE HEAD OF THE CIVIL SERVICE OF THE FEDERATION, MRS. DIDI
ESTHER WALSON-JACK, OON, mni, ON DAY 1 OF THE STUDY TOUR FOR STATE
HEADS OF SERVICE ON MONDAY, 23RD JUNE 2025
PROTOCOL
Transformative Permanent Secretaries
Distinguished State Heads of Service
Directors
Ladies and Gentlemen
It is my pleasure to warmly welcome you to the Office of the Head of the Civil
Service of the Federation.
I especially thank the Body of Heads of the Civil Service of Nigeria, who have travelled from far and wide. Your presence
reflects true dedication. Your continued support and commitment have been
vital to the progress of our reform agenda. For carrying the torch of excellence
across the nation, I say a heartfelt thank you.
2. While we celebrate the progress we have made, we must remain mindful of the work that still lies ahead. Today’s gathering is not just a moment
of reflection, but a renewed call to action, an opportunity to reaffirm our shared vision and drive forward the next vital phase of transformation with
clarity, purpose, and resolve. We are here not to compete but to complete.
3. Many of you will recall our transformative study tour to Singapore earlier this year. That experience was nothing short of inspiring. It revealed what is
possible when a disciplined, digitally driven, citizen-focused Civil Service is placed at the heart of national development. Today’s study tour to key
ministries and institutions in Abuja is a continuation of that journey, rooted in learning, collaboration, and innovation. And I assure you, it will not be our last.
4. Our objectives here are clear:
• To deepen our understanding of best practices in strategic planning, service delivery, and human capital management;
• To explore how digital tools and data-driven systems can reshape our
operations for greater impact;
• To strengthen the bond between the Federal and State Civil Services –
“One Service, Many Jurisdictions, One Vision”.
5. We are in the final stretch of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP 25). Our chosen theme for this phase, “Final Sprint: Delivering Results”, is both a call to action and a commitment to outcomes. A sprint demands not just speed, but precision, stamina, and
resolve. I urge each of you to fully align your state-level priorities, ensuring that
reforms reach every desk, department, and district.
6. This is also the “Year of Accomplishment”, a year not for promises, but for results. The Nigerian people are watching. Let them see evidence of our
progress: in improved service delivery, agile processes, digitalisation, and a
motivated workforce.
7. I want to reaffirm my unwavering support to each of you. If you require
policy direction, training, innovation support or technical collaboration from
the centre, know that my office stands ready. This is a shared mission. We succeed together or not at all.
8. I encourage you to:
• Fully immerse yourselves in the sessions and site visits during this tour;
• Ask bold questions, offer ideas, and challenge old assumptions;
• Capture actionable insights and return with implementable plans
tailored to your States’ agenda;
• Lead your teams with clarity and courage, change travels fastest when
leaders light the way;
• Monitor your progress with integrity, because data is the compass that
guides reform.
9. With these words, I hereby declare the Study Tour open. May it be enriching, energising, and enduring in its impact on our service and on the lives of the citizens we are privileged to serve.
10. Let us run this final sprint with courage and purpose. Let 2025 truly be the Year of Accomplishment. And may it be said of us that when the time came to deliver, we delivered.
11. Thank you, and may God bless you all, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation
23rd June, 2025