The Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) has developed a formal strategic plan aimed at revamping Nigeria’s civil service by restoring merit, entrenching performance, and aligning public sector recruitment with national economic goals.

The plan, which emerged from a three-day strategy development retreat held in Abuja, represents a sweeping attempt to reposition the Commission as a central driver of reform within the federal bureaucracy.

This came in direct response to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s charge to the Commission at its inauguration in December 2023 to lead the transformation, digitalisation, and reorientation of the civil service to support private-sector growth under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Chairman of the Commission, Professor Tunji Olaopa, described the move as a turning point for the FCSC and a departure from years of stagnation and patronage-driven administration.

According to him, a rapid assessment conducted by the current leadership shortly after assuming office exposed a system crippled by mediocrity, politicised appointments, and a bloated, under-skilled workforce.

“We found that while the numbers might not suggest over-bloating on the surface, the real issue is the mismatch between staffing and skill. Too many workers lack the competencies required to drive Nigeria’s development goals, and the recruitment process has, over time, lost its meritocratic foundation,” he said.

With support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office through its Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE), the retreat brought together renowned experts, including Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Prof. Bamidele Olowu, Dr. Bert Odiaka, and Dr. Egem Odey. The consultants worked alongside an in-house Strategy Development Team to craft a blueprint that redefines the Commission’s vision, mission, and core values, while situating it as a reform-minded institution.

A central focus of the strategy is the need to re-establish a transparent, competitive, and digitally enabled recruitment process in the federal civil service—one that attracts the best talent and restores public confidence. The retreat also addressed the Commission’s performance management gaps, the erosion of ethical discipline in service, and the absence of a structured reward system for excellence.

The Commission’s new direction also includes deploying a performance-managed secretariat, linking promotions to output and accountability, and creating clearer frameworks for stakeholder engagement and institutional collaboration. Participants carried out in-depth situation analysis using global benchmarks from countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada, and Kenya, as well as lessons from leading institutions like the Central Bank of Nigeria and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

In an interview after the retreat, Professor Olaopa confirmed that some of the new principles are already being applied in the ongoing recruitment exercise, which he described as the most transparent in the Commission’s history.

He explained that the process involved online applications, a screening stage to eliminate unqualified applicants, and upcoming computer-based testing aligned with candidates’ areas of expertise. Final selections, he said, will be based on merit while also ensuring compliance with the federal character principle.

“What we are doing now reflects the values we have committed to. This is not just a document; it’s a living strategy. Our goal is to demonstrate that the federal civil service can serve as a lever for national transformation, not a burden,” Olaopa noted.

The Commission now plans to finalise and validate the draft strategy document before full implementation. The five-year plan (2025–2029) will serve as the Commission’s reform compass as it works to support Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.