Anthony Ailemen
….Urged government to lift the employment embargo
….Blames decay in Civil Service, on political interference, advocates merits, professionalism
Tuni Olaopa, Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission FCSC, has appealed to the federal government to lift the blanket employment embargo imposed on the federal Civil Service about six years ago, under the regime of late former President Muhammad Buhari.
Olaopa made the plea while presenting his paper “Guidance, Merit and Digital Reform: Rewiring the Federal Civil Service”, at the ongoing International Civil Service conference in Abuja
He also advocated for far-reaching reforms in Nigeria’s civil service system to strengthen meritocracy, professionalism, institutional efficiency, and workforce productivity in line with emerging global realities, even as he blamed politicians for decay in the civil service culture
Olaopa made the call while speaking at the International Civil Service Conference 2026 held at Eagle Square, Abuja, during a high-level panel discussion at the ongoing International Civil Service Conference in Abuja
BusinessDay checks show that the Federal Government’s embargo on general employment into the civil service has been in place for over 6 years, officially taking effect in March 2020.
The government, however, regularly lifts the ban in favour of selective mass recruitments, in critical sectors like health, security, and specific vacancies
But Olaopa argued that long-standing hiring freezes have turned employment from a strategic governance tool into a bottleneck that pushes talent away and weakens institutional capacity.
“I think a situation where we are doing an embargo for so long has made the service lose the value of using employment as a tool for recruiting the service,” he told delegates, warning that the service is already losing trained hands to the private sector and the diaspora. He said the government must restore its status as an employer of choice through fresh thinking and innovation in employment policy
According to him, ” I think a situation where we are doing an embargo for so long has made the service lose the value of using employment as a tool for recruiting the service. Good people will come into the public service, they will get the initial training, and they will move into other sectors. The rate at which we are losing them, even to the diaspora, is incredible.
“For government to restore its status as an employer of choice, we need to bring a lot of innovation into employment policies. Whatever we do with merit and competitiveness, if we do not resolve the competitive wage issue and commensurate conditions of service as drivers of merit, we are just playing to the gallery.”
He stressed that recruitment should be restored as a strategic tool for filling critical gaps, building institutional memory and sustaining service delivery, rather than being treated only as a fiscal constraint. He said prolonged embargoes have also made it difficult for the civil service to respond to changing public needs, even when capable people are available and willing to serve.
Olaopa explained that the Commission, first established in 1954 as the Public Service Commission before becoming the Civil Service Commission in 1979, derives its constitutional powers to appoint, promote, and discipline civil servants while safeguarding the nation’s merit system and public service ethics.
The Commission historically played a central role in building Nigeria’s civil service culture, but regretted that decades of politicisation, poor funding, mass retirements, weak institutional structures, and policy inconsistencies had significantly eroded standards and undermined internal administrative efficiency.
Olaopa disclosed that upon assumption of office, the current leadership of the Commission carried out an institutional assessment which led to the development of a comprehensive strategic reform plan already approved by the Federal Executive Council. According to him, the reforms are aimed at repositioning the Commission into a modern, technology-driven, and professionally competent institution.
Highlighting some of the milestones already recorded, he said the Commission successfully migrated from manual recruitment processes to a digital e-recruitment platform, introduced transparent computer-based promotion examinations, revived the National Council on Civil Service Commissions after over 12 years of inactivity, and restored Nigeria’s active participation in regional public service institutions, including the African Association for Public Service Commissions.
The Chairman stressed that merit and professionalism must remain the foundation of recruitment, promotion, and career progression within the public service, insisting that competence, qualification, integrity, and performance should continue to guide public sector human resource management without compromising the Federal Character principle.
He, however, observed that weak institutional capacity, inadequate digital infrastructure, shortage of specialised manpower, and welfare concerns continue to pose serious challenges to sustainable reforms. He cautioned that reform initiatives that fail to address workers’ welfare and performance support systems may face resistance from civil servants.
He also called for a balanced and human-centred performance management framework capable of improving productivity while supporting officers to develop professionally, assuring that the Commission remains committed to building a modern civil service that is efficient, accountable, innovative, and fully prepared for the future demands of governance.
The international civil service conference continued in Abuja on Thursday, with about 16 countries attending.
The countries include the United States, the UK, and other African countries
Source: Businessday.ng | Read the Full Story…
