President Tinubu Applauds Walson-Jack’s Legacy

Says. Nigeria Requires Civil Service Capable  Of Sustaining National Development.

Mrs Didi Walson Jack, the outgoing Head of Civil Service of the Federation has received accolades for an enduring legacies as she prepares to take a bow fom the Civil Service.

The commendation came during the presentation of her two books titled: “I planted: A Memoir of Purposeful Service” and “Beyond the Mandate: A Memoir on Leadership, Legacy and Labour of Public Service”.

President Bola  who was represented at the book launch said, "For Nigeria to progress and build an inclusive and prosperous country, it needs a Civil Service  that is not only capable of delivering results, enabling reform but also sustaining national development.

Represented at the presentation of the book,  by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Ude, the President d disclosed that he held the Nigerian Civil Service in high regard because of its enduring principles of permanence, continuity, professionalism, and institutional stability.

According to him. “We need public servants who understand that competence is a duty, integrity is non-negotiable, innovation is a necessity, and service to the Nigerian people is the ultimate purpose of public office.

“The story contained in the two books being launched today is therefore not only the story of one woman. It is also a reminder to the 1000s of men and women across Nigeria public service that their work matters.

He commended Mrs Didi Esther Walson Jack for her contributions to Nigeria’s public administration, this is as he described her career as a testament to purposeful service, institutional leadership and conscious legacy-building.

President Tinubu stated that the legacies by the outgoing Head of Service  had earned her a significant place in Nigeria’s public  administration history through her service at both state and federal levels.

According to him, the significance of the occasion went beyond the launch of two books, as it provided an opportunity to celebrate “a life of purposeful service, a career of institutional leadership, and a legacy being consciously built in the service of our nation.”

Tinubu who noted that despite the enormous responsibilities associated with the office of Head of Service, Walson-Jack found the discipline and time to document her experiences for the benefit of present and future generations.

The President emphasized that  this demonstrated Mrs Didi Esther Walson Jack understanding that public service was not only about what an individual accomplished while in office, but also about what was left behind for those who would take over.

The President said his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda was founded on the conviction that Nigeria could become a better nation, adding that the government had remained focused on reforming institutions, strengthening the economy, improving security and creating opportunities for young Nigerians.

President Tinubu acknowledged that the reforms had required difficult decisions, but said the administration remained committed to making decisions that would benefit future generations.

According to him, “Governments may change. Political leadership may change. Policies may evolve, but the machinery of government must retain the institutional memory, technical competence and discipline required to sustain the Nigerian state,” 

"The Nigerian Civil Service remained indispensable because of its principles of permanence, continuity, professionalism and institutional stability.

Describing  Mrs Walson-Jack as a reformer who understood that the Civil Service must continuously evolve to meet the demands of a rapidly changing Nigeria and an increasingly complex world, he  noted that her tenure had contributed to strengthening institutional continuity,, technical expertise and the discipline required to translate government policies into,  implementable actions.

Enumerating some of the achievements of the Head of Service. the President spoke about  the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 and the successor 2026-2030 Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan as part of the government’s reform efforts.

He also commended the ongoing digital transformation, including the integration of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) with the Human Resource Management System (HRMS).

These  initiatives, the President said are of high importance and also critical to strengthening payroll integrity, improving human resource management, enhancing engagement and ensuring greater accountability in the management of public resources.

He urged the Federal Civil Service to extend the reforms across the wider public sector, stressing that digitalisation must remain a priority for a modern Nigerian public service.

This is as he commended Mrs Didi Esther Walson Jack for her purposeful and long enduring legacies in the Civil Service which he said will remain laudable and useful after her retirement.