Tinubu Appoints New Head of Service

President Bola Tinubu has appointed Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), with effect from August 27, 2026.

Enitan will succeed the incumbent Head of Service, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who is due to retire from the Federal Civil Service after attaining the statutory retirement age of 60.

The appointment was announced on Wednesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

Enitan, a native of Osun State, is currently the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education and the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service.

According to the statement, he has spent seven years and seven months as a Permanent Secretary, during which he served in the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of the Vice President before his current posting to the Ministry of Education.

With his experience across key government institutions, Enitan is expected to assume leadership of the Federal Civil Service at a time the administration is pushing reforms aimed at improving efficiency, professionalism and service delivery.

Tinubu charged the incoming Head of Service to consolidate ongoing reforms and innovations, while deepening professionalism and efficiency across the civil service.

The President also tasked him with building a more effective, merit-driven, accountable and responsive public service capable of advancing the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He further urged Enitan to ensure that the civil service remains responsive to the needs and aspirations of Nigerians.

Tinubu commended Walson-Jack for her years of service, particularly her contributions to reforms and innovations within the Federal Civil Service during her tenure.

The President expressed appreciation for her “distinguished service to the nation” and wished her a fulfilling life after retirement.

Born on December 12, 1966, Enitan attended Ajibode Grammar School, Ibadan, and the College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife, before proceeding to the University of Lagos, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Banking in 1988.

He later earned a Master of Science degree in Public Policy Analysis from Nasarawa State University, Lafia, in 2015.

In another development, the outgoing HCSF inaugurated an 11-member Technical Working Committee tasked with developing a framework and implementation roadmap for the full digitalisation of the Federal Civil Service.

The committee followed the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the Federal Civil Service Digital Transformation Progress Report and is expected to establish a coordinated approach to digital transformation across ministries, departments and agencies.

Walson-Jack said the initiative was designed to eliminate fragmented digital systems and create an integrated government-wide digital ecosystem capable of improving administrative efficiency and service delivery.

She stressed that the civil service could no longer afford isolated digital initiatives operated independently by different institutions, noting that government systems needed to communicate, securely share information and simplify administrative processes.

The committee is expected to develop a comprehensive Digital Transformation Implementation Framework and Roadmap covering governance, institutional coordination, interoperability, cybersecurity, funding, digital readiness, capacity building, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

Walson-Jack also warned that digital transformation should not be reduced to the acquisition of technology, stressing that sustainable reform required changes in institutional processes and the development of personnel capable of effectively using digital platforms.