• HCSF tasks civil servants on innovation to address current challenges
Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, on Tuesday, reaffirmed the role of the civil service in Nigeria’s development, declaring that no meaningful progress can be achieved without efficient civil service in the country.

Reflecting on his experience since assuming office in August 2023, the minister described the civil service in his ministry as responsive and ready to work once there is a directive.

The minister disclosed this in Abuja while receiving the Heads of Civil Service from the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who were on a study tour of the ministry as part of activities marking the 2025 Civil Service Week. The weeklong celebration commenced on Friday, June 20, 2025.

MEANWHILE, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has charged civil servants to rejuvenate and be innovative to be able to address the challenges of the 21st century.

Speaking at the inaugural International Civil Service Conference yesterday in Abuja, she said that the conference, hosted by the Federal Government, in partnership with the Global Government Forum, United Kingdom (UK), was borne out of the recognition that civil service in Africa is at a crossroads.

According to her, although the service inherited a forged system in a different era, it was, nevertheless, expected to address the challenges of the current era.

“The systems we inherited were forged in a different era. Yet, we are compelled to respond to 21st-century challenges, rapid urbanisation, digital disruption, climate shocks, global pandemics, complex citizen demands and now, the generational call for equity, inclusion and climate justice.”