Governance In Focus As Shettima, Boss Mustapha, Walson-Jack Head Major Civil Service Event

Vice-President Kashim Shettima is scheduled to declare open the 2026 colloquium of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS) on Wednesday, October 28, bringing together serving and retired public service leaders to discuss governance and national development.

According to Bush Radio Academy, the announcement was contained in a statement by Olusegun O. Adekunle, chairman of the CORFEPS Planning Committee.

The event, themed “Navigating the Headwinds of Governance: Centrality of the Civil Service”, will take place at the Rotunda Conference Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja. It forms the flagship programme of the council’s two-day 2026 CORFEPS Week, scheduled for October 28 and 29.

The immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, is expected to deliver the lead paper, drawing on his experience in public administration and governance.

His presentation will be reviewed by a panel comprising the immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack; retired Federal Permanent Secretary and pioneer Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Dr Habiba Lawal; and Permanent Secretary of the Common Services Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr MacKalba Danjuma Usman.

Senator Cyril Olawale Fasuyi, chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters, will preside over the session.

Discussions at the colloquium will focus on strengthening the civil service’s institutional permanence, impartiality, transparency, accountability, efficiency, productivity and integrity. Participants will also examine ways to improve citizen-centred service delivery amid contemporary governance challenges and preparations for another political transition.

The event will also feature the unveiling of the inaugural edition of the CORFEPS Journal, an initiative designed to encourage informed discussions on public administration, governance and national development.

Organisers expect the gathering to attract members of the Federal Executive Council, serving and retired permanent secretaries, heads of government agencies and commissions, industry leaders, diplomats, development partners, civil servants, civil society organisations and media representatives.

The National Chairman of CORFEPS, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, will welcome participants, including prominent public service figures such as Engr. Ebele Okeke, Nigeria’s first female Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.

Activities will continue on Thursday, October 29, with the council’s Annual General Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Olusegun Obasanjo Hall, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.

The programme will conclude with the CORFEPS Dinner and Awards Evening at 7 p.m. at Aso Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.

Established in 2025, the CORFEPS Awards recognise individuals whose contributions have strengthened the Nigerian civil service and advanced national development.

This year’s ceremony will honour additional founding icons of the council and former heads of the civil service. According to the organisers, the awards are intended to celebrate the contributions of past public service leaders while promoting a credible and transparent framework for recognising outstanding service among serving officials.