Get Guardian on GoogleDelta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has urged Federal and State civil servants across the country to urgently embrace artificial intelligence (AI), digital technology and innovative approaches to modernise public administration and improve service delivery to Nigerians.
The governor said the rapidly changing technological landscape had made it imperative for the Nigerian Civil Service to move beyond traditional bureaucratic practices, acquire relevant digital skills and adopt innovative systems capable of making government operations more efficient, transparent and responsive to citizens’ needs.
Oborevwori made the call while formally declaring open the 45th National Council Meeting of the Civil Service Commissions of the Federation in Asaba, Delta State.
Represented at the six – day event by his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, the governor maintained that the Civil Service, being the institutional backbone of government, must continuously strengthen public institutions, promote merit and fairness, and protect the integrity and reputation of the service.
According to him, the effectiveness of government policies and development programmes depends largely on the capacity, commitment and professionalism of the public servants responsible for implementing them.
He stressed that the Civil Service must cultivate a work culture that rewards diligence, innovation, accountability and productivity rather than encourage outdated administrative practices that undermine efficiency.
“In Delta State, we recognise that no government can achieve its development goals without a competent and motivated public service. Hence, we continue to invest in capacity building, digital transformation, staff welfare and improved working conditions,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, called for stronger collaboration between the federal and state civil services, warning that efforts to transform the federal workforce would be inadequate if similar technical and institutional support was not extended to state and local government administrations.
Olaopa argued that it would be counterproductive for the Federal Government to concentrate on strengthening the intelligence quotient, professional competence and policy capabilities of the federal workforce without helping state civil service commissions develop the capacity to implement competency-based human resource management practices.
He said state civil services required adequate technical support to improve personnel management, institutional performance and the capacity to contribute meaningfully to economic growth at the subnational level.
According to him, the participation of state and local governments is critical to achieving Nigeria’s national development objectives because they are closer to the people and constitute important economic corridors for delivering sustainable growth.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Delta State Civil Service Commission, Mrs. Roseline Amioku, declared that the traditional perception of the Civil Service as merely a bureaucratic machinery for implementing government policies was no longer sufficient in the face of contemporary governance challenges.
She said the modern Civil Service must evolve into a dynamic institution capable of driving national development, encouraging innovation and delivering efficient public services.
Amioku, however, acknowledged that the Nigerian Civil Service continued to contend with significant structural and institutional challenges, including capacity gaps, bureaucratic inertia, perceptions of corruption and resistance to organisational change.
