The Federal Government of Nigeria says it has commenced aggressive deployment of technological innovations to transform the nation’s public service sector to effectively discharge its mandate to the nation.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, said this on Friday in Abuja at the award ceremony of the maiden edition of the Federal Civil Service Innovation Competition 2020.
- FG initiates 43 reforms in civil service in five years
- Stop thinking there’s job security in civil service-HoCSF
Dr. Yemi-Esan disclosed that arrangements have been concluded on the establishment of a service innovation department in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation to be headed by a director and a service innovation unit to be headed by a deputy directors and which are to be established in the Reform Coordination and Service Improvement Departments of all MDAs.
“The circular to this effect has been approved and would be issued immediately.
“The development is expected to encourage innovation and prevent the suppression of ideas in the system,” Yemi-Esan said.
She said that government had realised the critical role which technological innovations play in developing global economy, and therefore had adopted it as the strategy for repositioning the public service for efficiency.
This is as Dr. Yemi-Esan awarded a monetary prize of N7.75m to the three best staff and team members of the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; and one from the Federal Ministry of Special Duties among the 45 teams that participated in the competition.
According to her, 168 submissions were received from 109 workers, who later emerged as team of minimum of two and maximum of seven, before the three best that emerged were awarded N3m, N1.750m and N1m respectively.
Consolation prizes of N200,000 also went to each of the 10 teams that made it to the final stage.
She expressed optimism over the growth of Nigeria’s civil service, saying that the public service was not deficient of the capacity to deliver on its mandate and that the “Present and the future of the Service is truly very bright”.
According to her, the fact that majority of public servants, who participated in the competition, were Officers on Salary Grade Levels 07 to Salary Grade Levels 10 is an attestation to her assertion.
