CIoD Abuja Zone Seeks Stronger Governance Ties with Federal Civil Service

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Abuja Zone of the Chartered Institute of Directors Nigeria (CIoD Nigeria) has called for deeper collaboration with the Federal Civil Service in a renewed push to strengthen governance standards, accountability and leadership culture across government institutions.

This came as the leadership of the zone, led by its Chairperson, Mrs Rose Eshiette, M.CIoD, paid a courtesy visit to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, in Abuja.

The visit was part of ongoing stakeholder engagement by the institute aimed at promoting professionalism, ethical leadership and institutional efficiency within Nigeria’s public sector.

During the meeting, Mrs Eshiette formally invited the Head of Service to serve as Special Guest of Honour at the investiture ceremony of the 11th Chairperson of the CIoD Abuja Zone, scheduled for June 11, 2026, in Abuja.

The invitation was warmly received by the Head of Service, who expressed appreciation for the recognition and assured the delegation that she would attend as scheduled.

She also encouraged participation of Permanent Secretaries and senior officials in the event, noting that such engagements help reinforce leadership development and governance reforms within the civil service.

Mrs Walson-Jack used the occasion to highlight ongoing reforms in the Federal Civil Service, including a service-wide GPT initiative designed to improve innovation, knowledge management and operational efficiency across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

She also spoke about efforts to develop a comprehensive compendium of government circulars issued over the years, aimed at improving institutional memory, policy access and administrative consistency.

According to her, the reforms are part of broader efforts to modernise the civil service and strengthen its capacity to deliver public value more efficiently.

In response, the CIoD delegation commended the Head of Service for what they described as her visionary leadership and commitment to reforming the civil service through technology-driven initiatives and improved governance structures.

They noted that her ongoing reforms align with the institute’s mission of promoting sound corporate governance, ethical leadership and sustainable institutional development.

The visit, according to CIoD, is part of a broader strategy to deepen partnerships with key public and private sector institutions in order to strengthen leadership capacity and governance outcomes in Nigeria.

The institute reaffirmed its commitment to supporting reforms that enhance transparency, accountability and professionalism across both public and private sectors.