Vice President Kashim Shettima will, on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, declare open the 2026 Colloquium of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS), bringing together leading voices in public administration to examine the centrality of the civil service to effective governance and national development.

The colloquium, which will be held at the Rotunda Conference Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja, is the flagship event of the two-day 2026 CORFEPS Week, scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, to Thursday, October 29, 2026.

The event is themed “Navigating the Headwinds of Governance: Centrality of the Civil Service.” It will provide a platform for serving and retired public service leaders, policymakers, development partners and other stakeholders to reflect on the challenges confronting governance and the measures required to strengthen the Nigerian civil service.

The immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, will deliver the lead paper, drawing on his extensive experience in public administration and governance.

The paper will be further examined by a panel comprising Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Dr (Mrs) Habiba Lawal, a retired Federal Permanent Secretary and pioneer Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination; and Dr MacKalba Danjuma Usman, Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

The session will be chaired by Senator Cyril Olawale Fasuyi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters.

Discussions will focus on how the civil service can sustain its institutional permanence while strengthening impartiality, transparency, accountability, efficiency, productivity, integrity and citizen-centred service delivery as Nigeria navigates contemporary governance challenges and prepares for another political transition.

The colloquium will also feature the unveiling of the maiden edition of the CORFEPS Journal, marking another milestone in the Council’s commitment to promoting informed discourse on public administration, governance and national development.

Expected at the event are members of the Federal Executive Council, serving and retired Federal Permanent Secretaries, heads of government agencies and commissions, captains of industry, members of the diplomatic community, development partners, civil and public servants, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations and the media.

The National Chairman of CORFEPS, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, will welcome guests to the event, which is expected to attract distinguished public service figures, including Engr. Ebele Okeke, Nigeria’s first female Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, alongside other eminent serving and retired public officials.

The 2026 CORFEPS Week will continue on Thursday, October 29, with the Council’s Annual General Meeting at 10:00 a.m. at the Olusegun Obasanjo Hall, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

The programme will culminate in the CORFEPS Dinner and Awards Evening, scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Aso Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

Instituted in 2025, the CORFEPS Awards recognise distinguished individuals whose contributions have strengthened the Nigerian civil service and advanced national development. This year’s ceremony will honour additional founding icons of the Council and former Heads of the Civil Service of the Federation.

The Council said the awards reflect its commitment to celebrating the contributions of past public service leaders while building a credible and transparent framework for recognising outstanding contributions by serving officials in the future.

The 2026 CORFEPS Week reinforces the Council’s determination to harness the institutional memory, experience and expertise of retired public service leaders in shaping a more effective, accountable and citizen-focused civil service.

Sir Olusegun O. Adekunle, Esq., OON

Chairman, Planning Committee
Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS)