The Federal Civil Service Commission has said that the real problem with civil service is skill mismatch and under-utilization, and not necessarily over-staffing.
Chairman of the commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, disclosed this in Abuja at the commission’s maiden strategic plan unveiling.
The unveiling was part of a three-day retreat which took place from June 30 to July 2, 2025.
Olaopa said Nigeria has a pool of workers most of whom boast of outdated and obsolete skills which have rendered them redundant for 21st century.
He said, “If you benchmark the workforce of the federal civil service against other countries, you’ll find that our workforce is actually small.
“But we have a huge number of staff, most of whom lack the requisite skills to function, while the skills that the system needs are scarce.”
As a response to this, Olaopa said the commission is introducing a performance management system, reskilling and redeployment of underutilized personnel.
It is also encouraging those whose skills are irrelevant to voluntarily exit the service with incentives.
Round pegs in round holes
“It’s about putting the right people in the right roles and building a civil service that supports national priorities,” he added.
He said this is to overhaul the commission’s bureaucracy to align with the country’s economic ambition of becoming a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
The plan, covering 2025 to 2029, aims to reposition the federal civil service as a key enabler of national development.
Olaopa said, “The civil service must no longer be seen as a stifler of economic growth.
“We are reengineering the Federal Civil Service Commission to be performance-driven, reform-oriented, and aligned with the President’s vision of making Nigeria a $1 trillion economy by 2030.”
He said the President during the commission’s inauguration in December 2023 tasked it to completely facilitate the transformation, reorientation, and digitisation of the federal bureaucracy.
This is to enable and not stifle growth and enhance the private sector in the development of the Nigerian economy.
To meet this mandate, he said the commission has developed a strategic roadmap anchored on merit, accountability, and digital efficiency.
Attracting best minds to the service
The Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission said it has a mandate to attract the best of Nigerians into the service.
“Our strategic plan is to make that happen by attracting the best minds, deploying technology in recruitment and promotion, and linking advancement to measurable outcomes,” he stated.
“We’ve already begun implementing these reforms. For the first time, vacancies were advertised publicly, and applications were processed online.
“We want to attract the brightest Nigerians into the civil service.
“We are laying the foundation for a civil service that is future-ready and fit for purpose.
“Our mandate is clear: to create a service that fuels the economy, not frustrates it.
“The $1 trillion goal is not a political slogan, it’s a strategic target we are now helping to build toward,” he concluded.
