In the face of digital disruption, economic volatility, and rising public expectations, the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) has highlighted the urgent need for attitudinal transformation to create a responsive public service.

Noting that the public service is the stage on which national destinies are realised, the institute said human resources must lead the charge in reshaping policies, reskilling staff, and driving innovation, warning that traditional bureaucratic systems, marked by slow approvals and outdated practices, breed dysfunction and public frustration.

Permanent Secretary, Office of Local Governments, Establishments and Training, Bibilomo Olushekun, gave the charge at a specialised induction ceremony for public service staff of the Lagos State Government, where she spoke on the theme, ‘Resilient People, Responsive Service: Charting the Future of HR in the Public Service.’

Outlining the attributes of a modern workplace, including digital HR, agile teams, and real-time service, as well as transparency and accountability, she said the public service has moved from paper-based to digital technology.She called on HR professionals to be the bridge between today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities, asserting that without a resilient and responsive HR driving the transition, progress stalls.

The Head of Service, Lagos State, Bode Agoro, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Local Government Commission, Abosede George, emphasised the centrality of HR in organisational effectiveness, saying, “HR is the most important department of any organisation. Without it, other branches are ineffective.”

She charged the inductees to leave a legacy of excellence, urging them to “ensure they leave the civil service better than they met it.”
Earlier, President and Chairman of the Governing Council, CIPM, Ahmed Gobir, said the induction marked a significant milestone in the professionalisation of human resource management within the state’s civil service.

Citing a report from the World Economic Forum that 92 per cent of public institutions that invest in people-centric policies outperform their peers in service delivery and innovation, the CIPM boss said resilience alone was not enough, but ensuring that the right people are in the right roles, with the right mindset and at the right time.

“Our task is to create a responsive public service, one that does not merely answer questions but anticipates needs, one that does not just manage processes but inspires progress.

“Make people feel valued. Make them feel seen. Make them feel like the public service can soar because you dared to stretch its wings. Today, you will receive not just certificates, but a charge to build resilient people, deliver responsive service, and boldly chart the future of HR in the public service with courage as your compass and purpose as your power.

“Don’t just manage people, please ignite their potential because public service is not just about policies, it is about people. And people don’t need more roadblocks; they need more real care,” he said.

At the programme, a total of 141 officers were formally inducted into the institute, with eight individuals inducted as full members and 133 inducted as associate members through the HR practitioners’ route.