Oyo-Ita, Aig-Imoukhuede Canvass Revolution in Federal Civil Service

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita and Founder of Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG), Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, have canvassed revolution in the Federal Civil Service, which they said, will create an enabling environment for business and boost investment.

The duo pushed for a high-performing civil service at a recent campaign the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation organised in Abuja with the AIG “to sign on leaders of Nigeria’s private sector as partners in the execution of a high-impact Nigerian Civil Service Transformation Strategy.”

The campaign was attended by President of Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote; Chairman of Zenith Bank Plc., Mr. Jim Ovia; Managing Director of First Bank Plc., Dr. Adesola Adeduntan and Managing Director of Shell Petroleum Development Company Nigeria Limited, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, among others.

The Federal Executive Council had in July 2017 approved a revolutionary three-year Strategy and Implementation Plan for the transformation of the Nigerian Federal Civil Service into an Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-centered (EPIC) body.
Subsequently, Iyo-Ita’s office partnered the AIG to implement the approved plan, which the latter funded the engagement of a global management consulting firm “to facilitate the development of a Prioritised 2017- 2020 Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP).”

At the campaign, Oyo-Ita disclosed that her officer had developed a robust strategy and implementation plan for the evolution of the Nigerian Civil Service into a high-performing entity with improved public service delivery to Nigerians – the first time the service is initiating a reform by itself.

According to her, “we are now about to implement this bold plan and have come to mobilise private sector leaders as partners in the effort to build a transformational civil service that does great things for Nigeria.”
She said the plan focused on eight priority areas for intervention, which according to her, comprised training, strategic recruitment, performance management, salary review, innovation, culture transformation, rollout of human resources software, and digitisation of service records.

Also at the campaign, Aig-Imoukhuede noted that the innovative approach “to reform, in which proven business leaders and organisations step forward to selflessly support government towards the delivery of public services in a transformational manner is gaining traction globally.”

He added that the impact of a high-performing public service on the lives of Nigerians and on the performance of our economy would be incalculable.

Likewise, Dangote acknowledged that that the private sector “will definitely succeed in creating an enabling environment for business and investments to thrive in Nigeria if the civil service reform is successful.”
Dangote emphasised the need to ensure that the welfare of civil servants was effectively addressed as part of the transformation plan.

It was observed at the campaign that apart from immeasurable benefits “to the lives and welfare of Nigerians and to the Nigerian business ecosystem, specific gains expected from the successful implementation of the plan include savings of N60 to N123 billion from digitisation and automation; cultivation of future, world-class public service leaders; training of over 25,000 civil servants and consequent improved human resource capabilities; cultivation of new ideas, technologies and ventures through three annual innovation competitions and the equipping of 25 ministries with performance management tools to drive results-based impact.”