Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has tasked Heads of Service and top echelons in the Civil/Public Service of the South West zone to keep providing quality leadership by building a world class Service that will meet today's needs and proffer solutions to future needs.
Governor Sanwo-Olu made the call while declaring open the Year 2025 Strategic Meeting of South West Heads of Service which has its theme "Deepening Professionalism in the Civil Service Towards Improved Service Delivery," put together by the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission and hosted by the Lagos State at Ikeja.
Sanwo-Olu who was represented by his Deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, encouraged Heads of Service to rise up to chart new ways for professionalism to be entrenched in the Civil Service as all the efforts of the forebears of the service have been eroded and the ugly trend must be reversed.
He called for an alliance between the Civil Service and professional bodies for qualitative training and retraining of all the workers, to give room for the upliftment of the hitherto diminishing standard in the Civil Service, especially the education sector which is the foundation every other profession is built upon.
"I am delighted that Lagos State is playing host to the South West States. The theme of today is apt but calls for action because the growing expectations of the citizens must be met, as it is a fast growing world; and to keep this trend going, the South West must take the lead and the Civil Service is the key. As Heads of Service, you are saddled with a lot of responsibilities, as professionalism in the Civil Service must be the bedrock of integrity, dedication, and commitment. Make continuous culture of improvement to be your watchword in order to deliver measurable results,"the gov said.
The Ogun State Head of Service, Mr. Kehinde Onasanya in his contribution at the meeting said deepening professionalism within the civil service required a multifaceted approach which includes establishing clear policies and guidelines, investing in training development and implementing robust performance management system and reforms to promote economic growth.
According to Mr. Onasanya, key strategies for deepening professionalism within the service should also include training and development, performance management, citizens engagement and affiliation with credible and results oriented professional bodies .
The Head of Service said the Civil Service as the engine room of governance has witnessed remarkable development and turnaround under the present administration of Prince Dapo Abiodun, and added that the ultimate goal of fostering a positive impact on the citizenry cannot be overemphasized through various reforms.
Onasanya said the Civil Service in the South West has a crucial role to play in the region's developmental policies and the Heads of Service in the region should rise up and key into the integrated developmental agenda being championed by the DAWN Commission.
In his prefatory remarks, the Director-General of DAWN Commission, Dr. Seye Oyeleye said the meeting was a cornerstone for galvanizing regional collaboration, fostering innovation in governance and shaping up the future of public service delivery in the region.
He said the Commission considers it as the backbone of governance and a crucial link between policy and practice, between intent and impact, and added that professionalism in the civil service must evolve beyond its traditional structures to embrace innovation, data driven decision making and ethical responsiveness to the demands of the people in South Western Nigeria.
Speaking on the theme of the Strategic Meeting, the Keynote Speaker, the Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission and a Professor of Public Administration, Abuja, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, said with the way the Civil Service was growing complex in terms of policy management tasks, saying it was expected to deploy professionalism to facilitate the process to translate government development agenda into implementable objectives.
He submitted that the Civil Service must be change agents through innovation and reformation, saying Volatile Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous (VUCA) age, where the change calls for fundamental reflection of how the government is perceived, while the manner government's business is conducted must be continually interrogated and rejigged.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Head of Service, Lagos State, Mr. Bode Agoro, appreciated all the dignitaries and stakeholders for their cooperation and synergy by placing high premium on the Strategic Meeting, despite all odds and clamoured for a South West Civil Service digital portal where reports on best practices across the six states could be obtained for the betterment of the region.
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