By Peace Erewunmi

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has charged the newly appointed Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, to uphold integrity, accountability, professionalism and efficiency in Nigeria’s federal civil service.

Enitan formally assumed office today, succeeding Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who retired after reaching the statutory retirement age.

The expectations surrounding the new Head of Service are understandably high.

The Federal Civil Service is one of the most important engines of government. Policies may be announced by political leaders, but it is the civil service that is expected to translate many of those policies into programmes, processes and services that eventually reach ordinary Nigerians.

This means that when the civil service is inefficient, the effects are felt by citizens.

A delayed document, an unnecessarily complicated government process, poor communication or an unresolved administrative issue can turn what should be a simple government service into a frustrating experience.

That is why President Tinubu’s emphasis on integrity, efficiency and accountability is important.

But the bigger challenge is implementation.

Enitan himself has said he is not coming into the system to “reinvent the wheel” but to strengthen ongoing reforms and make the civil service more efficient and responsive. He has also pledged to ensure that the service remains guided by efficiency, productivity, incorruptibility and citizen-centredness.

Those words now need to translate into measurable results.

Nigerians want a civil service where competence matters, where public officers understand that government offices exist to serve citizens, and where accountability is not simply a slogan.

They also want a system where innovation is encouraged rather than resisted.

The digital transformation of government must continue. Processes that can be completed online should not unnecessarily require citizens to move from one office to another. Public servants should have clear performance expectations, and institutions should be able to measure whether those expectations are actually being met.

Integrity must also remain central.

A professional civil service cannot function effectively when corruption, favouritism or negligence is allowed to undermine public institutions.

The new Head of Service therefore has an opportunity to strengthen public confidence in the federal bureaucracy.

Enitan brings significant experience to the position. He has served as a Permanent Secretary for more than seven years across several government institutions and was the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service before his appointment.

Now comes the difficult part: turning experience into impact.

Nigerians do not simply need a civil service that is busy.

They need one that is productive.

They do not simply need government offices filled with personnel.

They need institutions that solve problems.

And they do not simply need policies announced.

They need policies implemented effectively.

President Tinubu has given the new Head of Service a clear mandate.

The responsibility now belongs to Enitan and the wider civil service leadership to demonstrate that integrity, efficiency and accountability can become everyday realities within government—not merely words spoken at an inauguration.

The success of the new Head of Service will ultimately be measured not by speeches, but by whether Nigerians begin to experience a federal civil service that is faster, fairer, more professional and genuinely responsive to their needs.