Olaopa: States Must Unite to Build Future-Ready Civil Service
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has called for stronger collaboration between Federal and State Civil Service Commissions to build a future-ready civil service.
Speaking on Wednesday, the fourth day of the 45th National Council and Annual Conference in Asaba, Delta State, Olaopa described the Council as an increasingly important platform for institutional renewal, peer learning and collective action.
He said successive annual engagements had provided an enduring framework for building consensus, sharing innovations and translating commitments into practical reforms across the federal and state services.
Olaopa recalled that resolutions from the 43rd Conference in Katsina in 2024 and the 44th in Umuahia had laid the foundation for institutional re-engineering and the restoration of the Commissions as professional, merit-driven institutions.
He identified the introduction of online recruitment and Computer-Based Testing (CBT) — for the first time in about four decades — as a major milestone of the 10th Commission.
The FCSC Boss also highlighted a more transparent promotion process through online accreditation and CBT, which he said had strengthened merit-based selection, reduced undue influence and restored public confidence in the Commission.
He added that the Commission had also improved strategic communication, stakeholder engagement and internal controls to address corruption in recruitment, promotion and career management.
Olaopa, however, acknowledged the gap between the Commission’s desired public image and operational realities, calling for sustained integrity reforms, improved workforce motivation and a credible reputation management programme.
Looking ahead, he called for stronger technical collaboration, particularly in developing competency-based human resource practices and standardised guidelines for appointment, promotion and discipline.
The Chairman stressed that the ambition of building a one-trillion-dollar economy by 2030 would depend on the capacity of subnational governments and their public institutions to deliver results.
He also advocated the integration of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies into public administration, alongside research, training and knowledge-sharing to prepare the service for the Fourth and Fifth Industrial Revolutions.
Olaopa identified the revival of the National Association of Public Administration and Management (NAPAM), deeper partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, and a comprehensive reorientation of public service values as critical priorities.
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to its 2026–2030 Strategic Plan, anchored on institutional repositioning, digital transformation, professionalisation and evidence-based practices.
According to a statement by Ibraheem Zakariyya, the Commission’s Head of Information snd Public Relations, Olaopa maintained that the future of the Nigerian civil service depended on a unified, agile, accountable and meritocratic public service ecosystem.
