Abuja: Vice-President Kashim Shettima has identified the Federal Civil Service as the bedrock and stabilising force of Nigeria, urging experienced public servants to continue contributing their expertise to governance. Shettima, represented by Dr Aliyu Modibbo, Special Adviser to the Vice-President on Special Duties, spoke in Abuja during the unveiling of two books by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the books, “Making Reforms Work: Leadership Lessons from the Implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025” and “Help of God,” document Yemi-Esan’s public service experience, particularly her tenure as Head of Service. The Vice-President urged retired public servants and professionals with vast experience to accept opportunities to serve whenever called upon, emphasizing that their knowledge remained valuable to national development.
He highlighted the need for the government to draw from the reservoir of knowledge and experience of retired public servants at both state and federal levels. Shettima emphasized the importance of maintaining the stability of the system and encouraged public servants to accept appointments to contribute to the system’s growth and enrichment.
The reviewer of “Making Reforms Work,” Alhaji Bukar Goni-Aji, a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, described it as ‘an honest account of the challenges and achievements of reforming Nigeria’s civil service’. Goni-Aji noted that the 14-chapter book covered Yemi-Esan’s five-year tenure from September 2019 to August 2024 and was anchored on the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2025.
He commended Yemi-Esan for her institutional discipline and for continuing an existing reform programme rather than abandoning it for a new initiative. Goni-Aji also praised her for distributing the responsibility for reforms among permanent secretaries, increasing the prospects of sustainability beyond the tenure of an individual Head of Service.
The book documented challenges during Yemi-Esan’s tenure, including a ransomware attack on the electronic content management platform of her office on July 10, 2023. The attack disrupted official work as officers were unable to log in to the platform. Additionally, a nationwide verification exercise uncovered 1,618 officers with unverifiable appointment letters, while more than 2,600 officers who failed to present themselves were referred to the ICPC, with salaries of 11,447 officers placed on hold.
The reviewer recommended the book to permanent secretaries, directors, state heads of service, students and teachers of public administration, political leaders, and private-sector managers. Reviewing “Help of God,” Prof. Johnson Orogun, a professor of Business Administration, described the 125-page, seven-chapter book as a testimony to divine providence, integrity, discipline, and purposeful public service.
Prof. Orogun stated that the book presented Yemi-Esan’s career progression as evidence of divine preparation, mentorship, family values, and perseverance rather than mere ambition. He added that her experiences demonstrated that difficult seasons could become opportunities for new beginnings and that delays could serve as preparation for greater responsibilities.
The current Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, congratulated Yemi-Esan for documenting her stewardship and preserving valuable lessons for present and future public servants. Walson-Jack noted that Yemi-Esan had left behind ‘a full reform agenda’ and that the current administration had continued to advance the reforms.
Responding, Yemi-Esan expressed gratitude to God, her family, colleagues, and partners for supporting her career and reform efforts in the Federal Civil Service. She emphasized that leadership was a privilege and that public office holders should strive to leave institutions stronger than they found them. Yemi-Esan attributed the successes of her reform agenda to collective efforts and commended various stakeholders for their support.
Yemi-Esan also acknowledged former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan, the late Muhammadu Buhari, and President Bola Tinubu for the opportunities to serve under their administrations and expressed appreciation to former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo for his support for public service reforms. She urged young public servants to regard public service as a noble calling and encouraged leaders to learn from the successes and challenges documented in the books.
The event was attended by former and serving public officials, senior civil servants, academics, family members, and other dignitaries, who celebrated Yemi-Esan’s contributions to Nigeria’s public service and commitment to institutional reform.