BPE calls for end to bottlenecks in public service delivery

From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

The Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE) has called for the removal of avoidable bottlenecks in public service delivery, urging its staff to prioritise efficiency, accountability and improved outcomes for Nigerians.

The Director-General of BPE, Ayodeji Gbeleyi, made the call on Tuesday at the 2026 BPE Service Compact with All Nigerians (SERVICOM) symposium and lecture, held as part of activities marking SERVICOM Week.

Gbeleyi, who spoke on the theme, “Going the Extra Mile, Reforming Responsibly,” said public service delivery must go beyond routine compliance to ensure that citizens receive quality, accessible and seamless services.

He said the bureau must provide reliable information, make requirements clear, deploy technology responsibly, remove avoidable bottlenecks and uphold fairness and due process in its operations.

According to him, reform must be lawful, evidence-based and inclusive, while also protecting the public interest, using resources prudently and delivering measurable results. Going the extra mile means refusing to accept the minimum compliance as the highest standard of public service.

“It means listening carefully, simplifying processes, anticipating legitimate needs, communicating clearly, resolving complaints promptly and taking ownership of outcomes,” he said.

The BPE boss said service excellence should be evident in the way public institutions receive visitors, handle correspondence and digital channels, process applications and enquiries, and respond to complaints.

He urged departments and units within the bureau to review their service standards, simplify high-impact processes and use data and feedback to identify recurring failures and improve service delivery.

Gbeleyi also stressed the need for staff to see service improvement as a personal responsibility, noting that leadership must provide direction and remove obstacles while every officer must contribute to better outcomes.

He said one delayed response, unexplained procedure or discourteous encounter could weaken public confidence in government institutions, while every problem solved and process improved would strengthen the relationship between government and citizens.

The BPE DG further called for responsible use of technology, particularly artificial intelligence, as part of efforts to improve efficiency and transparency in public institutions. He said complaints from stakeholders should not be treated merely as criticisms but as useful intelligence for identifying weaknesses and developing better systems.

Also speaking, former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dr Joe Abah, said the focus on service delivery was important, recalling that an earlier assessment of Nigeria’s public services had concluded that government services were not being adequately delivered to citizens.

Abah, who said he had spent about 35 years working on governance and public sector reforms, commended the BPE for dedicating a symposium to service delivery.

He explained that SERVICOM was established following an assessment of service delivery in Nigeria, which identified significant weaknesses in the way government institutions served citizens.

Abah also noted that service delivery within an organisation extended beyond interactions with members of the public to include how staff served one another.

He said the processing of invoices, travel documents, meetings and facility management, among other internal functions, were also elements of service delivery that should be improved.

The former BPSR DG said reforms must ultimately be measured by their impact on citizens and the quality of services delivered by government institutions. He commended BPE for its commitment to responsible reform and urged the bureau to sustain efforts to improve the quality of service delivered to Nigerians.

The symposium formed part of activities marking the 2026 SERVICOM Week, with participants focusing on practical measures to improve service standards, accountability and citizen satisfaction.

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