The enforcement of a merit-based system, professionalisation, digital reform, and competitive remuneration are pivotal changes to rebranding the Federal Civil Service Commission ( FCSC ) for improved civil service.
Prof. Tunji Olaopa who is the Chairman of the FCSC said this on Thursday in Abuja during the 2026 International Civil Service Conference organized by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).
According to Olaopa, the enhanced performance of the civil service is tied to merit-based processes and guidelines spelt out in clear terms and aligned with the federal character policy and ethical discipline, transparency, accountability.
He said that all this had been taken into consideration in the strategic plan of the commission to rebrand it and optimise its performance.
He noted the importance of digital reform as a great component of the strategic plan to make technology to drive the FCSC secretariat to change it from its slow and paper-heavy status that is prone to loss, damage and human error.
Such a change, he stated , would result in automated user-centric systems that would end the era of recruitment forms, physical queues and fragmented departments and that would pave the way for “interoperable databases, digital identities, and seamless online recruitment portal and CBT engines where candidates and other clients can access all of Commission’s services from a single dashboard from any location around the world.”
According to him, integrity, credibility and public spiritedness are critical success factors for the Commission’s operation. Thus, he urged that in appointing people into the Commission, greater emphasis needs to be put on these attributes.
Similarly, he urged that
the selection of members of the Commission should emphasize track record of high professionalism and expertise in their fields of specialization, and records of high integrity in previous professional lives.
“The same should apply in the staffing of the secretariat of the commission with officers with proven records of
competence and personal integrity”, he said.
He called for adequate funding for the Commission’s core functions, activities and projects as well as enhanced incentive structures so management and staff of the Commission can rise up to its role as a valued gatekeeper of essential profession of national significant
Stressing the need for the enforcement of a merit system and professionalism , he said that this would require that entry level assessment examinations and criteria for selection be linked to specific tasks to be performed in user MDA, in order to guide objective selection processes.
This, he said , would also entail that there should be transparency about how the CSC arrives at its recommendations of candidates for new appointment and for promotion of officers
Noting the importance of competitive wage structure and commensurate condition of service as a driver of the merit system, he said: “Clearly and in spite of our best intentions, recruitment into the civil service that enforces strict merit-based processes in a service the condition of service is anything but inviting will continue to create a paradox.
” We desire to attract top-tier talents, but offer remuneration that lags far behind what other sectors that are drawing personnel from same labour market offer.
” In such a situation, it is a delusion for the public service to think it will command a premium workforce nor will it ever restore
government as employer of choice.”
According to Olaopa, poor conditions of service in the public sector would produce a situation where ” we end up getting highly qualified individuals who will often use the public service as a stepping stone. Soon as they gain foundational experience and training, they are poached by the private sector, or they find their way out in search of greener pasture”.
Olaopa warned that this would make the civil service to be burdened with mostly candidates who are stuck or cannot secure other lucrative employment or better still, delight in guaranteed tenure.
To Olaopa, attracting and retaining high-end professionals and talents with scarce skills is becoming increasingly challenging, particularly in high-demand fields where competition with the private sector is strong, and in which brain drain is prevalent
” While the public service offers meaningful high profile job opportunities, career development, and job security, these advantages are often unattractive to high-skilled professionals, due to the public service non-competitive wage and remuneration structure”, he said.
Thus, to remain competitive, he urged the government to adopt proactive strategies that align salary structures with labour market realities.
One way to approach this situation, to him, is the development of an employer branding strategy which appeals to candidates’ values, motivation and pride to contribute to the public good.
He said that this would entail determining measures to determine what attracts and retains skilled employees, and using this to inform employment policies including compensation and non-financial incentives .
” Setting a salary strategy to attract the right people requires increased flexibility and looking for trade-offs with e.g. job security
” In so doing, it must at once tackle head-on the cost of governance challenge, enhance career mobility, and communicate better the unique value of public service careers”, he said.
Olaopa proposed a better approach to managing the service than embargo on recruitment. To him, the
practice of freezing of recruitment in times of budgetary constraints in order to control staff number and wage bill has become dysfunctional.
” A more effective approach is to target hiring freezes to job profiles that will be made redundant due to technological innovations, while continuing to attract and recruit skills in high-value areas.
” We can also use shorter-term contracts where possible to reduce lifetime career-based commitments in a carefully balanced way.
We indeed should consider exploring the possibility of diversifying the pathways of entry-levels into the civil service, by significantly expanding opportunities for contract-based workers to enable greater staffing flexibility and adaptability, while maintaining the core strengths of the career-based system”, he said.
Other achievements Olaopa listed in rebranding the FCSC include the resuscitation of the National Council of Civil Service Commissions as an avenue for knowledge sharing, problem-solving, and policy harmonization, across the three tiers of government; the
restoration of Nigeria’s participation and leadership in regional bodies including the Association of African Public Service Commissions (AAPSCOMMS) ; and robust partnerships with key stakeholders such as the OHCSF.
