The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has charged federal civil servants to safeguard and sustain ongoing reforms across the public service as she prepares to leave office on August 27, 2026.
Walson-Jack, who announced her impending exit during the Mentoring Marketplace and unveiling of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) Employee Self-Service Application in Abuja, said the future of the civil service would depend on the commitment of public servants to preserve and deepen the transformation initiatives introduced in recent years.
The event formed part of activities marking the 2026 Civil Service Week.
Addressing civil servants, the outgoing Head of Service described the occasion as her final Civil Service Week in office and reflected on a career she said had been defined by service, sacrifice and institutional reform.
“On the 27th of August 2026, I will close the chapter of a career that has given me everything — purpose, friendships, battles worth fighting and the privilege of serving this great nation at its highest administrative level,” she said.
Walson-Jack credited civil servants for embracing reforms across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), noting that the achievements recorded during her tenure were made possible by the collective efforts of officers across the federal bureaucracy.
According to her, the true test of any reform agenda lies not in its introduction but in its ability to endure beyond the tenure of those who initiated it.
She stressed that policies, circulars and strategic plans alone cannot transform institutions without the dedication of the workforce responsible for implementing them.
“You did not have to make my vision your own. But you did. And because of you, this service is different today from when I arrived,” she told participants.
As part of efforts to consolidate digital transformation within the civil service, Walson-Jack unveiled the IPPIS Employee Self-Service Application, a platform designed to allow civil servants access and manage their personnel records electronically.
She said the initiative would reduce administrative bottlenecks, improve efficiency and strengthen service delivery across government institutions.
The outgoing Head of Service also highlighted mentoring as a critical pillar of institutional development, describing it as essential for leadership succession, knowledge transfer and the preservation of institutional memory.
Drawing from her personal experience, she recalled how mentorship from a senior officer early in her career shaped her professional journey and inspired her commitment to developing future leaders within the public service.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Professor Tunji Olaopa, warned that years of restricted recruitment had created significant gaps in the federal workforce, leading to the loss of valuable institutional knowledge as experienced officers exited the service.
He said the ongoing Human Resources Audit approved by President Bola Tinubu would help identify staffing deficiencies and provide a framework for rebuilding capacity across the civil service.
Olaopa advocated stronger succession planning mechanisms and structured mentorship programmes to prepare a new generation of public servants for leadership responsibilities.
He also endorsed the concept of reverse mentoring, whereby younger officers can support senior colleagues with digital and technological skills while benefiting from their experience and institutional knowledge.
The event underscored the Federal Government’s push to modernise the civil service through technology, workforce development and leadership renewal, even as one of the principal architects of the current reform drive prepares to leave office after decades of public service.
For many participants, the challenge ahead will be ensuring that the momentum generated by recent reforms survives beyond the tenure of the official who championed them.