The Federal Government has identified a mismatch between workers’ skills and job demands—not overstaffing—as the core issue plaguing the country’s civil service.
Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, made this known on Wednesday during the unveiling of the commission’s first-ever strategic plan at a three-day retreat held in Abuja from June 30 to July 2, 2025.
Olaopa said that while Nigeria’s federal workforce is relatively small by global standards, a large proportion of civil servants are ill-equipped for the roles they occupy, making many redundant.
“If you benchmark the federal workforce against other countries, you’ll find it’s not large,” he explained. “The issue is that many staff members lack the critical skills required, while the skills the system needs are scarce.”
To address this gap, the commission is introducing a performance management system, reskilling and redeploying underutilised workers, and offering incentives for voluntary exits.
“We’re focused on placing the right people in the right roles to build a civil service that aligns with national priorities,” Olaopa said.
The newly launched strategic plan, which spans 2025 to 2029, is aimed at transforming the civil service into a dynamic force for national development.
A central objective is to support Nigeria’s ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
According to Olaopa, the reforms are in response to a directive from President Bola Tinubu, who, at the inauguration of the current commission in December 2023, tasked the body with overhauling and digitising the federal bureaucracy to promote economic growth and support the private sector.
“We are reforming the Federal Civil Service Commission to be performance-driven and aligned with the President’s vision,” Olaopa said.
The new roadmap is built on key pillars of merit-based recruitment, accountability, and digital efficiency.
One major reform is the public advertisement of vacancies and online application processes—implemented for the first time to ensure transparency.
“Our goal is to eliminate political patronage and attract the best talent into public service,” Olaopa noted.
He also called for a renewed commitment to performance, excellence, and accountability across all ministries, departments, and agencies, stressing that the public sector must drive, not hinder, national growth.