Olaopa Urges Civil Service Commissions To Brace Up For Future Of Work

The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has urged civil service commissions to brace up for future of work.

Olaopa spoke on Thursday during the conclusion of the 45th Annual National Council of the Civil Service Commissions of the Federation which held in Asaba, Delta State.

According to Olaopa, civil service commissions must respond to changing professional expectations, generational perspectives and the implications of artificial intelligence.

He urged them to, in collaboration with Offices of the Head of Service, to examine schemes of service, emerging job requirements and the skills needed for effective government.

Noting what would be required in the future of work, he urged civil service commissions to embrace continuous learning, digital competence and the relevant leadership behaviour.

“The standards we enforce, the conduct we tolerate and the contributions we recognise will shape the culture of our institutions”, he said.

While noting the importance of strengthening implementation, communication and peer learning. he said:
” Peer learning, including engagement through the Association of African Public Service Commissions, should help us adapt useful practices to our own circumstance”.

Olaopa said that the leaders of civil service commissions came to Asaba to examine an important question: “How do we reposition our Civil Service Commissions to build a professional, competent, ethical and adaptable civil service that can meet the demands of national development and the expectations of our citizens?”
He said that the theme, “Towards a Future-Ready Civil Service: The Role of Institutional Re-engineering, Reputation Management and Culture Change at the Civil Service Commissions in Nigeria,” provided a framework for answering that question.

He said that the question also challenged leaders of civil service commissions to examine their own institutions, the decisions the decisions they make and the experiences of the people who depend on their services

He said that the meeting was situated within the reform journey that the council pursued together in Katsina in 2024 when it committed to institutional re-engineering and a stronger governance partnership with respective governments and in Umuahia in 2025 when the council examined the FCSC Strategic Plan, 2026–2030, and the imperative of restoring a capable, citizen-centred and accountable civil service.

He added that Asaba was therefore expected to move that conversation forward: to take stock of progress, confront the unfinished business of reform and identify practical steps that Federal and State Commissions could take together.