President Bola Tinubu has formally sworn in Abel Enitan as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), marking the beginning of a new chapter in the leadership of Nigeria’s federal bureaucracy.

The swearing-in, which took place in a brief ceremony at the State House, Abuja, formally inducted Mr Enitan into one of the most powerful administrative offices in the country, a position that oversees the coordination and management of the entire Federal Civil Service.

With his inauguration now complete, Mr Enitan officially assumes the mantle of leadership from Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who is retiring from the Federal Civil Service upon attaining the statutory retirement age of 60.

A native of Osun State, he holds the distinction of being the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service at the time of his appointment, having served in that capacity for seven years and seven months, a record that speaks to his depth of experience and familiarity with the workings of government at the highest levels.

Throughout his career, Mr Enitan has held postings across several key ministries and offices of the federal government. He once served at the Ministry of Police Affairs, where he contributed to the administration of internal security policy at the bureaucratic level. He also worked at the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, an office central to Nigeria’s social intervention and disaster response programmes.
His career equally took him to the Office of the Vice President, exposing him to the coordination of policy at the very centre of executive power, before he proceeded to the Federal Ministry of Education, where he most recently served before his elevation.

Born on December 12, 1966, Mr Enitan brings not only decades of bureaucratic experience but also a demonstrated record of longevity and stability within the civil service structure, having weathered various administrations and policy shifts during his time as Permanent Secretary.

His inauguration by President Tinubu at the State House signals the formal commencement of his responsibilities as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, a role in which he now succeeds Mrs Walson-Jack following her attainment of the mandatory retirement age.