Nigeria Begins Implementing UK-FCDO PACE-Supported Civil Service Reform Plan

Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service has begun implementing its first-ever Five-Year Strategic Plan (2026–2030) — a transformative blueprint for building a modern, accountable, and climate-responsive public service — developed with support from the UK-FCDO-funded Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Engagement (PACE) Programme).

Under the leadership of Prof. Tunji Olaopa, Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Nigeria has embarked on a historic reform process anchored in the new Strategic Plan, following its validation and launch in September 2025. The Plan is designed to modernise service delivery, strengthen accountability, and promote merit-based human resource management across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

It represents a reimagined public service properly equipped to drive inclusive economic growth, climate-responsive governance, and competence-based leadership. The reform aligns with Nigeria’s Vision 2050, the Federal Civil Service Strategic Implementation Plan (FCSSIP), and the National Development Plan (NDP) — positioning the Civil Service as a key enabler of livelihoods, enterprise development, and climate-smart public investment.

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Implementation Underway

Implementation is already progressing. In September, the Service began a Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis to align workforce competencies with institutional mandates — a core priority of the Plan.

The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has also announced a transition to paperless operations by December 2025, underscoring the government’s digitisation and efficiency agenda.

Additionally, the Federal Government has launched an HR professionalisation initiative and inaugurated a leadership development cohort for heads of federal agencies — aimed at embedding a performance-driven culture across the service.

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A Milestone in Public Sector Reform

For the FCSC, established in 1954, the Strategic Plan marks a turning point — its first comprehensive corporate strategy. Following a Presidential directive to modernise the Civil Service in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda, a Strategy Committee was formed to guide the process.

PACE provided technical support from diagnostic to validation, led by Dr. Umaru Abu and Ms. Chioma Itodo, with contributions from Ifeanyi Peters Ugwuoke (PACE National Team Lead), Mr. Ordu Obibuaku (Strategic Advisor), and Dr. Joe Abah (DAI Country Director). The effort was implemented by a team of consultants coordinated by Dr. Otive Igbuzor.

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Consultation and Co-Creation

The process began with a kick-off meeting in June 2025, followed by wide consultations with all 15 Federal Commissioners of the FCSC and senior officials to identify priorities, capacity gaps, and structural challenges.

These engagements culminated in a three-day Strategy Retreat and Stakeholders’ Validation Conference, convening over 100 participants from MDAs, oversight institutions, labour unions, and development partners. The Plan was formally endorsed at a high-level validation conference in September 2025, paving the way for rollout.

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Focus Areas and Next Steps

The Strategic Plan’s focus areas include digitisation, standardised recruitment and promotion, strengthened compliance systems, and improved representation of women and underrepresented groups.

PACE continues to provide technical advisory support on digital workflow integration, organisational change management, and reform communications.

As Nigeria moves toward a more technology-driven and performance-oriented public administration, the partnership between the FCSC and PACE underscores the value of sustained collaboration in turning reform commitments into measurable progress — ensuring the Civil Service remains a pillar of Nigeria’s transformation agenda.