FG charges workers on innovation, recognises outstanding civil servants with cash

The Federal Government has urged workers in the public service to brace up for the challenges of the 21st Century by embracing digital transformation to promote innovation that is needed to provide customer-focused, cost-effective, and updated methods in improving public service performance.

Head of Civil of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, who stated this, admitted that the Federal Civil Service is lagging in its responsibilities of providing leadership for innovation in the country.

She spoke on Thursday in Abuja at the award ceremony for the third annual Federal Civil Service Innovation Challenge, organized for Federal Civil Servants in Nigeria with the theme: “Towards a secure, collaborative and technology-driven civil service”.

Some outstanding civil servants were recognised at the event with cash prizes, with the first winner smiling home with N3 million, the second runner-up getting N1.7 million, and third place, N1 million, with N200,000 each as consolation prizes to 10 competitors.

Yemi-Esan noted that the event validated the Government’s commitment to driving an ecosystem where officers across the Nigerian public service are encouraged and can exchange knowledge as well as access the right tools in providing sustainable solutions to national challenges.

She said: “This quest for digital transformation is not the Head of Service dream. If we don’t all key in, the public service in Nigeria will be left behind and we don’t want that to happen.

“So, my appeal today is that all of us must join in the drive to transform the Nigeria public service. Many developing countries in the world including those in Africa, have now realised the need for innovation to provide customer-focused, cost-effective, and updated methods to improve public service performance.

“Therefore, innovation in the Public Sector has become increasingly popular around the world as a strategy for improving governance and scaling up the quality of service, she said.

Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Engr. Faruk Yusuf said the third edition of the Innovation competition was centred around three thematic areas – First is securing a work environment for civil servants; second is identifying new methods of promoting Public Private Partnerships (PPP); and third is cost-saving measures using modern technology.

Chairman Senate Committee on Public Service Matters, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, commended the Head of Service for institutionalising the awards, saying it would inspire the workers for higher performance.

The former Kano State Governor, also charged all those who are heading offices in the public service to recognise hard work, while also stressing that the civil service must keep track of changes so as not to continue to live in the past.

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