Making Civil Service Work for the Economy 

James Emejo writes on the joint efforts by the federal government and its private sector partners to reposition the civil service to make meaningful contribution to the economy.

Globally, the civil service remains key to creating a stable and conducive environment for economic activities through effective policy implementation, infrastructure development, efficient public administration, and fostering innovation, leading to sustainable economic growth.

However, over the years, the Nigerian civil service had failed to live up to these expectations.

The service had been plagued by widespread corruption, inefficiency and bureaucracy, lack of professionalism and training, low morale, dearth of transparency and accountability, lack of innovation, bribery and nepotism and resistance to change, political interference, among other limitations.

These identified deficiencies have largely resulted in the misallocation of resources, and undermined public trust.

Until recently, when the federal government, partnering private sector partners including the Aig- Imoukhuede (AIG) Foundation, to introduce key reforms, the Nigerian civil service had been the direct opposite of their counterparts in the private sector in terms of operations, efficiency, effectiveness, and attitude to work -as the long-held erroneous impression that whether or not the government is profitable, staff salaries must be paid – further emboldened their indolence.

Damning Audit Revelation 

In yet another instance of mismanagement of public funds and corruption, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Mrs. Folasade Yemi-Esan, recently disclosed efforts been made by the government to tackle workers who relocated abroad but remained on the payroll.

This brazen affront on the public purse, moved President Bola Tinubu to order the affected civil servants to refund the money collected.

Tinubu, who spoke at the 2024 Civil Service Week Gala/Award Night, further sought accountability from heads and supervisors of the departments of such workers, adding that the leadership must also be sanctioned for their apparent connivance.

Represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, the president also sought to overhaul the civil service given its relevance to the economy.

He said, “Although the head of service said some of these fraudulent workers have been uncovered, she should not stop there.

“The culprits must be made to refund the money they have fraudulently collected. Their supervisors and department heads must also be punished for aiding and abetting the fraud under their watch.

“The Nigerian civil service cannot just be a workplace where ‘anything is possible,’ where workers violate rules without the fear of punishment or repercussion.”

Tinubu said, “The civil service of any nation is too important for such delinquent behaviour to take root or be tolerated. The civil service is the bedrock, the engine, the locomotive of government, which is necessary for the government to deliver public goods to citizens. As politicians, we are no more than drivers of the locomotives that you provide.

“Those who say that a nation is as good as its civil service are close to the truth. You are the real establishment that remains to pilot government affairs as we politicians come and go.”

Despite the current challenges in civil service delivery, it is noteworthy that significant achievements have been recorded amid several initiatives to better position the sector. This has led to the recognition of top-performing civil servants, who embody the characteristics of the new Civil Service.

In its determination to make the civil service more proactive and efficient, the federal government partnered with the AIG Foundation which had committed to improving the public space within and outside the country, through several executive courses in recent times.

The collaboration led to an independent audit of the civil service that revealed its underlying rot where staff had relocated but still benefitted from salaries and allowances.

Role of civil servants

In his remarks at the ceremony where the Civil Service Culture Handbook was also launched, Chairman, AIG Foundation, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said recognising the critical role that civil servants and the wider public service play in the country’s socio-economic development, the foundation had dedicated itself to improving public service delivery by building the capacity of public sector leaders to drive and sustain reforms.

He said civil servants and indeed the public service are often an overlooked critical ingredient in conversations around the growth and development of the country, noting that while political officeholders serve for eight years in office, civil servants serve the nation for decades.

While describing them as an invaluable and timeless resource, he said this group of workers must be preserved, supported, and celebrated as they work to deliver public goods and services to Nigerians.

Aig-Imoukhuede further pointed out that in line with the foundation’s mission since 2017, “we have worked closely with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) on the development of its reform plans through the original Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan and its successor plan, the FCSSIP25.”

He said, “In the FCSSIP25, culture change, and partnership were identified as key enablers and we are honoured to have been partnering with the OHCSF to design and implement a culture change programme for the civil service.

“As part of our support for the culture change programme, we provided communication training for civil servants, produced the culture change video that was played earlier, and continue to provide ongoing assistance for the publication of the OHCSF e-Newsletter, a key channel for communicating the ongoing reforms to all civil servants and helped to develop the Civil Service Culture Handbook.

He noted that a critical area of the foundation’s support was the Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Fund for Public Sector Excellence, which provided cash prizes to the top-performing civil servants, who embody the characteristics of the new Civil Service.

Aig-Imoukhuede said, “All of this work demonstrates the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s commitment to improving public service delivery while fostering a culture of excellence and meritocracy within the Federal Civil Service.

The occasion was also designed to celebrate the achievements of those who have gone above and beyond in their service to the country and serve as an inspiration to all civil servants to strive for greatness in their respective roles.

Further commenting on the Handbook, the AIG Foundation boss said, “We are deeply committed to supporting the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan FCSSIP25. One of the key pillars of this plan is enhancing the value proposition for civil servants. To foster a culture change within the service, the handbook provides a framework for instilling core values and principles in new and existing civil servants.

“We believe that a culture shift is essential for long-term public sector transformation. By equipping civil servants with the knowledge and tools to excel, the handbook empowers them to become agents of positive change within the Nigerian Civil Service.”

He stressed that there is a strong correlation between the performance of a country’s public sector and its economic development, adding that the foundation was convinced that creating an African public sector that is effective, value-driven, and result-focused would lead to significant and measurable improvement in Africa’s economic, social, and political performance and of course, a better life for its citizens.

He said, “A performing public sector improves the lives of the citizens we serve; for me, at the minimum, I will say, if you say you are a performing public servant, it means that you would make a bad situation better. You would make a good situation better and even you would make the best situation better and that’s all that we expect of you as citizens of the nation that benefit from your service.”