FG Inaugurates Civil Service Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis Committees

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The Federal Government has inaugurated the Civil Service Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis Committees in a move to re-engineer the service.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, inaugurated the Steering and Project Implementation Committees for the Service-wide Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis.
She said the audit was to establish a verified, digital personnel database linked to National Identification Numbers (NIN) and Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), that would eliminate ghost workers, rectify inconsistencies in staff records, and produce an accurate workforce profile.
She explained that the initiative would also identify current and future skills gaps in critical areas such as ICT, project management, public finance, and data analysis.
In addition, it would aid the review and strengthening of training programmes to ensure targeted capacity development, enhance human resource management systems through digitalization using the Human Resource Management Information System (HRMIS); and achieve efficiency and cost savings by eliminating financial leakages, redundancies and enabling the strategic redeployment of resources.
She said the exercise aligned with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, to build a modern, efficient, and fit-for-purpose Civil Service by determining the true size, structure, and skills composition of the workforce, while identifying the competencies required for future service excellence.
Walson-Jack averred that the committees could only function effectively when powered by the right calibre of human capital, strategically deployed and continuously developed.
She also stated that the exercise was developmental rather than punitive, underscoring its purpose as a data-driven reform to reposition the Federal Civil Service to meet present challenges while preparing for future demands.
The Steering Committee, chaired by the Head of Service, comprised key permanent secretaries, the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Director-General of the Budget Office, representative from the Presidency and relevant consultant.
The committee would provide policy direction, approve key milestones, and ensure alignment with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, 2021-2025 (FCSSIP-25).
The Project Implementation Committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Dr Danjuma Usman Kalba, consisted of senior directors from the OHCSF, representatives from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission, and retired senior civil servants with technical expertise.
It would oversee operational tasks including methodology validation, data collection, compliance checks, and timely reporting.
Walson-Jack charged both committees to commence work immediately, executing their mandates with professionalism, diligence, and integrity.
She emphasised that the successful delivery of the exercise would lay a strong foundation for a Civil Service that would be efficient, productive, incorruptible, and citizen-centred.
The committee is expected to conclude its work within six months, while the Project Implementation Committee would deliver its reports within four months.