The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folasade Yemi Esan, has stated that public service innovation is essential to keep up with the pace of global change. She noted that by investing and promoting a culture and ecosystem for innovation to thrive, the public service can retain and attract the best talents in a competitive labour market.
Her words: “.In this light, it is pleasing to note that our resolve to sustain innovation in the Service and discourage the suppression of ideas is yielding tangible results. Since the first edition in 2020, the Civil Service has been able to effectively deploy several solutions that were developed in-house. These include: The Compro CBT Application for the Conduct of Confirmation Exams in the Civil Service;
“Anonymous Reporting System (ARS) which is a whistleblowing application; and Office Space Management Solution which has helped the office to effectively reallocate and manage poffice spaces in the various phases of the Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja.
Just last week, the Office commenced the Pre-Promotion Training for Officers on Salary Grade Level 14. It will interest you to know that the application used to conduct the mock assessment exam was developed by an officer in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. The web-based application is secure and has the feature of admitting all the prospective candidates on the portal and assigning unique user I.Ds to them. This is in addition to administering exam questions and scoring candidates in real-time”.
Esan stated this in her keynote address delivered on the occasion of award ceremony of the 4th edition of the Annual Federal Civil Service Innovation Competition held in Abuja.
She also said; “These and other innovative ideas only revalidate the point shared by the Chief Executive of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, during a panel discussion at the Omniverse Summit held last month in Lagos, wherein he said:
‘The notion that civil servants lack innovation is a misconception we are determined to overturn’
“Truly, you can bring out the best in civil servants at all levels when they are engaged and provided with the enabling environment to find expression in the work they do. This is why the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation remains committed to sustaining and strengthening the structures established to drive innovation in the public service which are in line with the policy thrust of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP25.”
She further stressed: “Globally, the drums of innovation sound the loudest. Innovation has not only transversed all eras of human existence but has remained the catalyst of civilization. From the invention of the wheel to the crafting of the compass, to the moulding of the first Light Bulb, to the ascent of the first Aircraft, and the activation of the computer, innovation has enabled humanity to defy the boundaries of impossibility.
“Innovation is about identifying problems, stirring up creativity and engaging in divergent thinking to derive solutions to improve the quality of life.
“These, among other allied objectives, have informed the hosting of the Federal Civil Service Innovation Competition. As you are aware, the competition sets out to provide a platform for Civil Servants to identify problems in the Service and proffer innovative solutions.
“This year’s competition is the 4th Edition since its inception in 2020 and participants were made to compete within the scope of the following subjects. These are: Reward and Performance Management, Mentorship and Succession Planning, as well as Talent Management and Knowledge Transfer through E-Learning.
“A total of 203 submissions were received and collated, out of which 99 civil servants participated in the first round of pitching. From this number 28 qualified and participated in the second round. At the final round held on 22nd March, 2024, a total number of 14 contestants competed, from which three (3) top winning ideas emerged, with ten (10) other winners.
“For me, I feel the most important outcome of the competition is the remarkable display of courage and a can-do-attitude by all the innovators who pitched one idea or the other during the competition. This is a very commendable level of confidence and a positive approach to life. Having a positive attitude toward problems helps you identify what improvements can be made.
“This is why attempting to innovate involves taking risks and that also requires courage to confront skeptics and the fear of failing. It is pertinent to also point out that inherent in every failed attempt at anything is an opportunity to improve and succeed. Fear is what stops you but courage is what keeps you going.
“Sir Isaac Newton, is credited with the saying that:
“No great discovery was ever made without a bold guess.”
“Albert Einstein was also famously quoted as saying:
“If you’ve never failed, you’ve never tried anything new.”
Therefore, it is true that “Fear kills more dreams than failure ever will”. Against this backdrop, I extend a thumbs up in saying a big well done to all the participants of this year’s Innovation competition for demonstrating exceptional courage and daring to pitch your numerous ideas.
According to Yemi Esan, this commitment is also in pursuit of the actualization of Priority Area 7 of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu -led Administration which is to “Accelerate Diversification through industrialization, digitization, creative arts, manufacturing and innovation. It is instructive to point out that achieving the aforementioned Priority area is key to unlocking Priority Area 8 – Improving governance for effective service delivery as well as other Priority areas in the agenda.
“However, the Nigeria Civil Service cannot do it alone. This is why we call for effective and sustainable collaboration with both public and private sector organizations, including development partners. It is hoped that with sustained support, the Nigeria Public Service will significantly contribute to improving Nigeria’s ranking in the Global Innovation Index, which is 109th among the 132 economies featured in the 2023 rankings.
“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, in line with our tradition, the following category of top innovators will be awarded the following prizes, The Star prize winner will be awarded the sum of Three Million Naira (N3,000,000), the first runner-up will receive One Million, Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N1,750,000), while the second runner–up will be presented with the sum of One Million Naira (N1,000,000). Ten other innovators will receive the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N200,000) each as consolation prizes. Congratulations to you all.
I use this opportunity to thank the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Office of the Head of Service, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, and members of the technical team for all the effort put in to host this year’s competition. I also wish to extend my appreciation to the judges for taking time out of their very busy schedules to be part of the event. I am confident that the winning solutions will contribute to enhancing the trajectory of the Federal Civil Service toward improved service delivery and productivity. I want to assure you all that we will explore ways of refining and deploying the solutions from this edition where required.
“Permit me to specially thank the Honourable Minister of Works, His Excellency, Engr. David Umahi for providing this very convenient venue for the grand finale of the competition to hold.
“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, on a final note, I wish to affirm that the future is truly bright. However, the onus is on us all to continue to work collectively and diligently for the contemporary transformation of , enhancing its ability to drive the socio-economic advancement of Nigeria.”
Earlier in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Magdalene Ajani stated that the competition provides a veritable platform to showcase and celebrate the ingenuity, creativity and problem-solving prowess of Civil Servants. It also encourages Civil Servants to identify problems in the Service, proffer solutions and propose suitable approaches to solving the problems.
Her words: “The progress recorded over the past three editions is impressive. The Service has witnessed emergence of transformative ideas and solutions that have redefined the landscape of the Federal Civil Service, showing that we have great minds and innovative people in the Service, with the capacity and capability to move the Service forward.”
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