How FCSC Is Raising Public Service Intelligence, By Olaopa

The Chairman, Federal Civil Service Commission ( FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has disclosed how his agency is committed to what he identified as the “rewiring of the organizational brain of the public service to beef up its policy intelligence and institutional intelligence quotient (IQ) of the workforce through its reprofiled new standard operating procedures.”

According to him, having connected with the national policy objective of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to build a one trillion dollar economy, the FCSC is determined to deepen meritocracy in recruitment and promotion while holding the federal character principle as inviolable.

To him, the FCSC’s recent adoption of e-recruitment and computer-based tests with significant concession that is taking the civil service away from annual performance evaluation report (APER) to KPI and performance bonding of top management is stemming the tide of sharp practices, corruption and politicization . He said that these measures were aimed at re-professionalising and restoring competency-based human resource management in the federal civil service.

Olaopa spoke on Tuesday in Asaba, Delta State, when he led federal commissioners at the FCSC and state civil service commissions’ leaders to pay a courtesy visit to the state Governor Sheriff Oboreveori during the 2026 Annual Council of the Civil Service Commissions of the Federation . The governor was represented by his Deputy Monday John Onyeme at the state Government House.

To Olaopa, enhanced institutional intelligence and the reengineering of the civil service backend now being operated within the framework of performance management and values-rooted parameters are what prepare the civil service for top performance by aligning with best practices globally.

According to him, the new managerial orientation is being actualised within the framework of the implementation of the FCSC strategic plan (2026-2030), a plan that state civil service commissions adopted for nationwide implementation in 2025. Consequently, the National Council of the Civil Service Commissions of the Federation 2025 and 2026 focused on seminal conversations for sharing, learning and benchmarking to get all civil service commissions in Nigeria on board.

Olaopa commended the Delta State government for accepting to host the 2026 council. He noted that he was fascinated by the fact that while the 2026 host for the council was still being considered while in Umuahia, Abia during the 2025 council, the Delta State government offered to host this year’s council. He noted that the state government had actually made good its promise . He commended the Chairman of the state civil service commission, Chief Amioku Roseline Eno, for the painstaking efforts she had deployed to prepare for the 2026 council.

Turning his attention to governance in Delta, Olaopa described Oboreveori as a top performer who was transforming the state through his MORE agenda . He lauded the government for prioritising the welfare of civil servants.

Responding, Onyeme said that he was happy that Olaopa allowed the council to be hosted in Asaba According to him, in line with the slogan of the state, “Delta no dey carry last”, civil servants in Delta are not only well trained and re-trained, they are well remunerated. He urged Olaopa to encourage other states to emulate Delta in this regard in order to align their civil servants with fast-paced developments in the world.