The Chairman of the FCSC, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, led their respective delegations to the retreat.
Speaking at the event, Olaopa commended the cordial working relationship between the two offices, describing the retreat as an opportunity to deliberate on issues that would enhance cooperation and improve the efficiency of the civil service. He said both institutions had maintained a strategic partnership under his and Walson-Jack’s leadership, adding that the meeting was a step toward addressing past unhealthy competition between the two bodies.
According to him, the retreat provided a platform to collaborate on reprofiling existing public service policies and strengthening institutional capacity to better harness public-private partnerships (PPPs) for improved infrastructure financing and service delivery.
He also emphasized the need to recalibrate records management and information control to prevent data leakages, rethink merit-based recruitment and performance management, and align remuneration structures with competence and productivity. Olaopa further called for the gazetting of key appointments and policy decisions, publication of annual statistical digests, and adoption of digital solutions to modernize civil service operations.
In her remarks, Walson-Jack said the retreat went beyond a routine engagement, describing it as a deliberate effort to deepen synergy between the FCSC and OHCSF for more effective service delivery. She noted that collaboration remained central to building a responsive and citizen-focused civil service.
Walson-Jack commended Olaopa for introducing transformative initiatives in the FCSC, particularly the adoption of the Computer-Based Test (CBT) system for civil service examinations.
Delivering the keynote address, Ambassador Mustapha Lawal Suleiman underscored the importance of sustained collaboration between the two institutions, urging that decisions be guided by data and evidence-based planning for a more efficient and accountable public service.
