Undeniably, Nigeria’s public service has the potential to unlock the country’s economic growth and improve the lives of millions of Nigerians.
Unfortunately, Nigeria is ranked 167th out of 174 countries in the World Bank’s Human Capital Index, indicating a need for better access to effective education and health.
Besieged by myriad challenges hindering its performance such as weak organizational structures, corruption, poor remuneration, and other factors; hence, the need to digitalize public sector operations cannot be overemphasized.
However, NATIONAL ECONOMY findings showed that efforts are being made to address these challenges and improve the performance of the Nigerian public sector. These efforts include reforms aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency in government agencies.
Notwithstanding, more needs to be done to ensure that the Nigerian public sector is able to deliver quality services to the Nigerian population. To this end, stakeholders, who convened at the 2023 Civil Service Week event in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja recently, advocated for the digitalization of the sector, as it will help improve service delivery.
The head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, highlighted that the public service’s present and future rely on digitalization as a veritable tool for effectively functioning and delivering prompt, citizen-centric, cost-effective public services.
Hence, Yemi-Esan extended her profound appreciation to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) such as the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation for unwavering dedication to promoting excellence in the civil service, commending the collaborative efforts of the foundation in driving positive change within the public sector, saying the award itself inspires a new wave of commitment to the core values that define the civil service.
Also, speaking at the Civil Service week which brought together distinguished guests, public servants, and esteemed stakeholders from various ministries, departments, and agencies, the chairman, Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, presented 32 outstanding civil servants with cash prizes of N500,000 each from the Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Endowment Fund for Public Sector Excellence.
The 32 civil servants, who were chosen after a rigorous selection process, best exemplified the core values of the civil service including loyalty, accountability, meritocracy, efficiency, and professionalism.
The foundation chairman expressed his deep-rooted belief in the critical role of public servants in nation-building and reiterated the organization’s mission of continuous promotion and encouragement of excellence within the public sector.
Recognizing that the country’s progress and prosperity are intertwined with the dedication of its civil servants, he stated that the establishment of the Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Endowment Fund for Public Sector Excellence represents part of the Foundation’s efforts to build a culture of meritocracy and professionalism within the civil service.
“By honoring exceptional public servants, the Foundation aims to set a benchmark for others to emulate, thereby elevating the overall standards of public service delivery across the country. This award, now in its second edition, symbolizes the enduring legacy of Emily Aig-Imoukhuede, whose passion for service and commitment to the betterment of society remains an inspiration to all,” he pointed out.
With support from Access Bank, the foundation has generously donated 11 laptops to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) to bolster its Enterprise Workspace Management Solutions (E-WMS) Project. The E-WMS utilizes automation to optimize office space allocations within Federal Secretariat Complexes, enabling the OHCSF to monitor office spaces, occupants, and resources more efficiently.
The success of the E-WMS project represents a significant stride towards enhancing operational efficiency within the Nigeria Civil Service by strengthening team collaboration and cohesion and allowing for improved monitoring of employee attendance and performance.
At the official presentation ceremony, the director of Programs of the foundation, Ms. Chioma Njoku, commended the innovative solution to optimizing workspace management and reiterated the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to supporting reform initiatives across the public sector.
Accepting the laptops on behalf of the head of Service of the Federation, the permanent secretary, Special Duties Office, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, expressed gratitude to the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation and Access Bank for their support, stating that the private-public sector collaboration had been instrumental in ensuring the E-WMS project’s success.
This project represents part of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to support reform initiatives aimed at transforming the public sector.
The Foundation’s implementation of an Enterprise Content Management Solution is expected to digitalize the work of the Civil Service, the development of an e-learning platform to facilitate training across the service, the introduction of a robust performance management system to boost staff performance and a culture change project aimed at introducing the right values into the Civil Service.
Additionally, through its partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, the foundation has trained over 400 public servants, equipping them with the requisite skills to become active change agents in their Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Indeed, the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), launched by former president, Muhammadu Buhari, to reposition the Nigerian Federal Public Service as an effective machinery of government for improved service delivery, also focuses on the use of technology to improve service delivery and transparency.
In this regard, the foundation has been collaborating extensively with OHCSF to accelerate the integration of digital technologies in the public sector that will enhance service delivery through Enterprise Content Management Solutions (ECMS). The ECMS project represents part of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to support reform initiatives to transform the public sector.
Other projects currently being supported by the foundation include the development of an e-learning platform to facilitate training across the service, the introduction of a robust performance management system to boost staff performance, and a culture change project aimed at introducing the right values into the Civil Service.
Recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu also commended the foundation’s N41 million endowment fund to reward deserving civil servants annually, which he described as a transformational approach for improved public service delivery in the country.
Tinubu, however, opined that the private sector is becoming more interested and committed to the value proposition of the civil servants, stressing that the foundation’s support is commendable and that ‘the onus is now on the body of civil servants to collectively show greater dedication to its ideals.’
Since its inception, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has been supporting the reform efforts of the OHCSF, providing technical assistance and funding for key reform priorities of the Nigerian Civil Service, including digitisation, the introduction of a performance management system, and a culture change program aimed at instilling the right values in the Civil Service.
Additionally, it provides capacity-building programs for public servants, run in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. To date, its training programs have reached over 400 public.
