Tinubu orders audit to reform civil service

President Bola Tinubu has ordered a full personnel audit and skills gap analysis across the Federal Civil Service to improve capacity and overall performance.

He gave the directive on Thursday in Abuja during the maiden edition of the 2025 International Civil Service Week.

Tinubu said it was essential to assign competent individuals to appropriate roles for an efficient and effective public service.

“We can only guarantee a high-performance culture by placing the right people in the right positions.

“To that end, I have authorised a full Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis across the Federal Civil Service to build capacity,” he said.

He urged stakeholders to complete the exercise promptly to enable reforms and create a more agile, skilled and responsive civil service.

Tinubu described the civil service as “the engine room” for delivering public goods and effective governance throughout Nigeria.

“Our civil servants are the quiet architects of stability, innovation, and public trust,” he added.

He said the audit was part of a wider plan to align the civil service with global standards and digital transformation.

Tinubu emphasised the importance of accurate and secure data to support evidence-based policy and international benchmarking.

“Data is the new oil. Unlike oil, it becomes more valuable when refined and responsibly shared,” the President stated.

He instructed MDAs to publish verified data in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

Tinubu noted progress under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025.

He commended the Head of Civil Service, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, for leading reforms in digitalisation and staff development.

“Launching Service-Wise GPT and other innovations reflects exceptional leadership,” the President said.

Walson-Jack said the conference was entirely self-funded through strategic partnerships and creativity.

“If Nigeria must lead Africa, our Civil Service must lead first,” she declared.

Our correspondent reports that the conference was with the theme ‘Rejuvenate, Innovate and Accelerate,’ reflecting a drive for renewal.