The Federal Ministry of Works has conducted an intensive refresher training programme for its staff on the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP25), which is expected to end this year.
The training, meant to drill all categories of the Ministry’s workforce, commenced on Monday, 13th January with Officers on Grade Levels (GL) 13 and 14; followed by those on 08, 09, 10, and 12 and finally rounded it up on Thursday, 16th January, 2025 with Officers on GL. 07 and below.
In his Opening Remarks, the Director, Human Resources Management, Aliyu Abdullahi, who stood in for the Permanent Secretary, Engr. Olufunso Adebiyi, reiterated the critical role of the Ministry in national development. 
According to the statement released by the Ministry, the Perm Sec reiterated that “as a Federal Government worker, we render services to Nigerian citizens, hence the need to be effective and efficient in service delivery”.
He highlighted that FCSSIP25 sought to address key challenges facing the Civil Service through well-articulated strategies, otherwise known as Pillars, which are transforming the Service into a world-class institution of our dream.
The pillars of FCSSIP25, as pointed out by the Permanent Secretary are; Capability Building and Talent Management; Performance Management System; IPPIS-HR; Innovation; Digitalisation, and Staff Welfare.
He reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to fostering a culture of excellence and continuous improvement to achieve individual aspirations, as well as national goals.
Engr. Adebiyi commended the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) for initiating such a transformative and strategic plan.
He also expressed gratitude to the Resource Persons for their commitment to the programme, while enjoining participants to actively engage in the sessions to enhance their capacities to meet the demands of an evolving Civil Service.
“This training will equip participants with the requisite competencies to contribute effectively to the success of the FCSSIP25 objectives. We must embrace innovation, accountability, and excellence to build a more vibrant Civil Service,” he stated.
While delivering papers on FCSSIP25, the resource persons re-echoed that reforming the Civil Service is essential for delivering effective governance and restoring public confidence in government institutions. 
Furthermore, FCSSIP25 is key to meeting the demands of a growing and dynamic nation like ours. Reforms, according to one of the facilitators, are not just desirable but essential. The Civil Service, as the engine of government, must adapt to modern challenges.
The facilitators took the participants through the Overview of FCSSIP25 after which, they drilled participants on the six pillars, which include; Capability building; Performance Management (PMS); IPPIS-HR; Innovation; Digitalisation, and Staff Welfare.
During an Overview of FCSSIP25, the facilitator highlighted the key enablers, which must be present before FCSSIP25 can be seamlessly implemented.
These include; effective communication, political buy-in, monitoring and evaluation, funding and timely release of funds, technology and digital skills, data and analytics, change management, and a conducive work environment.
Others are partnership, culture change, consequence management, as well as leadership and coordination.
Some dogged and functional initiatives of the present Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF) were itemised as follows; the introduction of War Rooms to fast-track the implementation of FCSSIP25.
Seven War Rooms were put in place to take care of the six pillars of FCSSIP25 and one to take care of the enablers. Other initiatives are the Official email addresses; an online compendium of circulars; Service-wise GPT; an online academy and a new Civil Service logo.
On Performance Management System (PMS), the facilitator emphasised its importance as that provides the Service with a structured approach to assisting Management improve performance in the Public sector.
It identifies skill gaps and areas where Civil Servants require training. This leads to structured capacity-building professional development programmes.
PMS spells out the clarity of goals and expectations; helps to align individual goals with the organisational strategic objective; helps individuals understand their roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, thereby reducing confusion and, above all, improving efficiency and productivity.
The event also featured valuable contributions from the participants, as majority of them were not aware of FCSSIP25 or its pillars. But in the end, all went home well-informed about the reforms in the Service.
