Shettima to open retired permanent secretaries’ colloquium on governance

Vice-President Kashim Shettima will on Wednesday, October 28, declare open the 2026 Colloquium of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS), with discussions focusing on strengthening the civil service and improving governance in Nigeria.

The two-day event, scheduled for October 28 to 29 at different venues in Abuja, will bring together serving and retired public service leaders, policymakers, development partners, and other stakeholders to examine the role of the civil service in national development.

According to a statement by Sir Olusegun O. Adekunle, Chairman of the CORFEPS Planning Committee, the colloquium will hold at the Rotunda Conference Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abuja.

The event is themed, “Navigating the Headwinds of Governance: Centrality of the Civil Service.”

The immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, will deliver the lead paper, drawing on his experience in public administration and governance.

His presentation will be examined by a panel comprising the immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack; a retired Federal Permanent Secretary and pioneer Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Dr. Habiba Lawal; and the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. MacKalba Danjuma Usman.

The session will be chaired by Senator Cyril Olawale Fasuyi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters.

Discussions will focus on strengthening the civil service’s institutional permanence while promoting impartiality, transparency, accountability, efficiency, productivity, and integrity.

Participants will also examine strategies for improving citizen-centred service delivery as Nigeria navigates contemporary governance challenges and prepares for another political transition.

The colloquium will feature the unveiling of the maiden edition of the CORFEPS Journal, an initiative aimed at promoting informed discourse on public administration, governance, and national development.

Expected attendees include members of the Federal Executive Council, serving and retired permanent secretaries, heads of government agencies and commissions, captains of industry, members of the diplomatic community, development partners, civil servants, and representatives of civil society organisations and the media.

The National Chairman of CORFEPS, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, will welcome participants to the event.

Other prominent public service figures expected include Engr. Ebele Okeke, Nigeria’s first female Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

The colloquium is the flagship event of the 2026 CORFEPS Week, which will continue on Thursday, October 29, with the council’s Annual General Meeting at 10 a.m. at the Olusegun Obasanjo Hall, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

The programme will culminate in the CORFEPS Dinner and Awards Evening at 7 p.m. at Aso Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

ALSO READ: Saudi-bound drug consignment hidden in palm oil keg intercepted at Kano airport

Instituted in 2025, the CORFEPS Awards recognise individuals whose contributions have strengthened the Nigerian civil service and advanced national development.

This year’s ceremony will honour additional founding icons of the council and former Heads of the Civil Service of the Federation.

According to the statement, the awards reflect the council’s commitment to celebrating the contributions of past public service leaders while establishing a credible and transparent framework for recognising outstanding service by serving officials.

The council said the 2026 CORFEPS Week underscores its determination to harness the institutional memory, experience, and expertise of retired public service leaders to build a more effective, accountable, and citizen-focused civil service.