Head of Service pushes digital reforms, calls for renewal of Lagos federal offices
By Wale Akinola
The drive to reposition Nigeria’s civil service for efficiency and innovation received fresh impetus on Thursday as the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, met with federal civil servants in Lagos as part of her nationwide engagement tour.
The visit, hosted by the Federal Controller of Works, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, brought together heads of ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) in the state, and served as an opportunity to deepen awareness of the ongoing Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP 25).
Mrs Walson-Jack, who has visited several states since launching the engagement series last year, said the exercise was designed to interact directly with staff, understand their concerns, and identify operational gaps that need policy attention.
> “Civil servants are located across all states of Nigeria, and I began this tour last year. Lagos is the fifth state I am visiting. The visit allows me to interact with staff, understand their challenges, and identify issues that need attention,” she said.
The Head of Service reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to modernizing the civil service through digital transformation, noting that by December 2025, the entire federal bureaucracy is expected to operate paperlessly.
> “We have introduced several digital tools, including an AI-powered assistant called ServiceWise GPT, trained on core public service documents such as the 1999 Constitution, Public Service Rules, and Financial Regulations,” she explained.
To complement this transition, she said, the Service had launched a weekly digital literacy webinar series aimed at reorienting civil servants and equipping them with the mindset required for a technology-driven workplace.
While the Lagos engagement largely focused on reform updates, Mrs Walson-Jack’s candid observation about the state of federal buildings in the state offered a glimpse into one of the service’s lingering challenges — infrastructural decline.
> “I visited the Federal Secretariat this morning and was saddened by its condition,” she noted. “But I assure you that we will push for its rehabilitation when we return to Abuja.”
Her comment drew applause from participants, who saw it as a sign of genuine concern for staff welfare and workplace conditions.
The host, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, commended the Head of Service for her leadership and personal commitment to reform, describing the visit as historic.
> “In my 35 years in the civil service, we have not had such engagement in Lagos,” Kesha said. “Your leadership inspires us to keep serving.”
She also appealed for urgent attention to the Glass House Office Complex of the Federal Ministry of Works in Lagos, a 12-storey structure built in 1980 — saying it now requires major rehabilitation after decades of use.
“We have tried to maintain it, but it needs major intervention,” she added.
