Stakeholders have advocated for stronger institutions, the building of evolving technology, innovation and inclusive governance.
They made the call at the Nigeria Public Service Lecture Series and Awards in commemoration of the UN’s Public Service Day, organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) in Abuja.
The director-general of BPSR, Dasuki Arabi, said the lecture series was part of ongoing reform efforts aimed at translating local goals and international priorities through stakeholder engagement, promotion of good practices and support for effective public service delivery.
Mr Arabi said the public service had been addressing institutional bottlenecks, legacy systems, fragmented processes, weak citizen engagement, and persistent inequalities that erode public trust through sound leadership, policies, and reforms.
He stressed that transformational reforms must benefit women, youths, persons with disabilities and marginalised groups, describing inclusion as both an ethical obligation and a practical necessity.
According to him, the federal government, under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, has launched major initiatives to promote innovation.
Such initiatives, he mentioned, included the National Council for Digital Innovation, investment incentives and reforms aimed at connecting investors, financiers and communities to drive economic growth.
He said measurable gains had been recorded in public financial management through the treasury single account and the digitalisation of government financial processes.
Mr Arabi disclosed that the public service had begun introducing one-stop service centres to enable citizens to access services from multiple government agencies at a single point.
He underscored the need for clear reform programmes, measurable targets, institutional incentives, integrity, robust change management, accountability mechanisms, transparency, and independent oversight to improve performance.
Mr Arabi also urged public servants to embrace technology, data-driven decision-making, and collaboration while responding to emerging challenges such as flooding, heat stress, and other environmental pressures affecting health, infrastructure, and service delivery.
Didi Walson-Jack, head of the Civil Service of the Federation, said the quality of decisions, speed of response, cost efficiency, transparency and results delivered by public servants were critical indicators of government effectiveness.
Ms Walson-Jack described the lecture series as timely, saying it provided an opportunity for public servants to reflect on the future of the service and their responsibilities in meeting citizens’ expectations.
The inspector-general of police, Tunji Disu, said the force remained committed to promoting collaboration with civil society organisations, development partners and other stakeholders in the pursuit of national security.
He said sustainable progress required innovation and the active participation of all segments of society.
Bukar Goni, lead lecturer and former head of the Civil Service of the Federation, emphasised the need for institutional transformation beyond reforms on paper.
Mr Goni stressed the importance of building systems that function effectively irrespective of leadership changes. He called for the resolution of institutional rivalries, noting that technology should support, rather than replace, reforms.
Governor Muhammadu Yahaya reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to reforms and digitalisation to improve service delivery. He said reforms at the federal level would achieve little unless they were effectively implemented at the subnational level.
”No reform at the centre can solve the challenges of the country without being cascaded to the subnational levels,” he said.
(NAN)