The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG), on Monday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding formalising a historic private-public partnership aimed at transforming the Nigerian Civil Service.

OHCSF, under the leadership of Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, developed a 2017-2019 Strategic Plan aimed at improving the current state of the Service across a number of critical areas including culture and capacity building, technology, entrepreneurship, and welfare administration.

Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), in February 2017, formally unveiled the strategy. Under the AIG-OHCSF Partnership, AIG will provide critical support to OHCSF in the advancement of the implementation of its Strategy through the provision and deployment of essential high-calibre skill and know-how towards the Project, as well as funding.

“The OHCSF 2017-2019 Strategic Plan aims to create an Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-Centered (EPIC) Civil Service, and, thereby, immensely improve the performance of the Service,” said Oyo-Ita.

She remarked: “I am elated by this historic event that has happened here today with the signing of an MOU between the OHCSF and Africa Initiative for Governance (AIG) pertaining to reforms in the Federal Civil Service of Nigeria. This is a momentous milestone in the decades of the existence of the Federal Civil Service of Nigeria. There has never been a partnership of this kind from within the shores of our great country, Nigeria, to render both technical and financial support of this quantum towards the implementation of the Strategy of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. It is indeed a new vista and Change has begun in the Nigerian Federal Civil Service.

“Under this partnership, AIG will provision and deploy requisite skills, know-how and funding towards agreed programmes and projects in the 2017-2019 Strategy of the OHCSF. On our part as government, we will provision requisite and timely governmental assistance, dedicated personnel to the agreed Projects and programmes. We are to show full commitment and timely implementation of any OHCSF-assigned deliverables as may be agreed by the parties under the Project and programmes. Please let me use this opportunity to re-assure AIG that I am totally committed to the implementation of the 2017-2019 Strategy of the OHCSF which was officially launched on February 28, 2017 and I am equally fully committed to the implementation of this MoU.”

Also commenting on the partnership, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, founder and Chairman of AIG said: “The vision of Africa Initiative for Governance is to be a catalyst for public sector transformation across Africa, connecting proven private sector innovation, leadership and funding to an amenable public sector in partnerships that seek to attract, inspire and support future leaders of Africa’s public sector. We greatly commend the efforts of the Presidency and the OHCSF towards impactful public sector reforms and are enthused by our shared conviction that such reforms are vital to the sustained growth and development of any economy or nation. AIG is pleased to pioneer and harness private sector support to the government in this area.”

Collaboration between AIG and OHCSF also extends to enabling deserving public servants to access world-class training in order to enhance competency and performance.