CIPM President calls for people-centred transformation of Nigeria’s public service

The President and Chairman of the Governing Council of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM), Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, FCIPM, fnli has called for a fundamental transformation of Nigeria’s public service, anchored on innovation, accountability, participation, inclusion and strategic people management. The CIPM President made the call while delivering the keynote address at the Ogun State 2026 Public Service Day Celebration Lecture, held at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, on Thursday, August 13, 2026. The lecture was themed “Transforming the Public Service: Advancing Innovation, Accountability, Participation and Inclusion.” Speaking to public and civil service leaders, scholars, organised labour, private-sector representatives and other stakeholders, Gobir emphasised that the ultimate purpose of public service is not merely to process paperwork, but to improve citizens’ lives.

He noted that citizens experience government primarily through the quality of public services they receive, stressing that “Government is an idea. Public service is its experience.” He therefore urged public institutions to move beyond measuring activity and processes to measuring the actual value and impact delivered to citizens. According to him, innovation in the public service must go beyond simply digitising existing processes.

He cautioned against “digitising dysfunction”, noting that technology cannot compensate for institutions that have failed to rethink inefficient processes. He challenged public-sector leaders to ask whether existing procedures still create public value and encouraged institutions to redesign processes around citizens’ needs rather than institutional convenience. On accountability, the CIPM President described it as “the mathematics of trust,” emphasising that public institutions must earn citizens’ confidence through competence, fairness, transparency, consistency and responsiveness.

He also stressed the importance of meaningful citizen participation, noting that participation should go beyond inviting citizens to events after decisions have already been made. Rather, citizens should have opportunities to influence decisions that affect their lives. On inclusion, Gobir called for public services to be designed to accommodate citizens across different socioeconomic, geographic, technological and demographic circumstances.