The Nigerian Federal Civil Service is preparing for a major transition. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, has officially announced that she will be stepping down from her role on August 27, 2026.

The announcement was made in Abuja during a milestone event featuring the Mentoring Marketplace and the highly anticipated unveiling of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) Employee Self-Service Application.

Speaking at the event, Walson-Jack shared that the ongoing 2026 Civil Service Week marks her final appearance at the annual celebration before she officially concludes her distinguished career in the federal civil service later this August.

A Message of Gratitude and Accountability

Reflecting on her tenure, the outgoing Head of Service extended her heartfelt gratitude to public servants across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). She credited the success of her administration's extensive reform programs entirely to the collaborative spirit of the workforce.

"The progress we’ve seen in the Federal Civil Service only happened because our workers chose to embrace these changes and worked hand-in-hand to implement them."

However, Walson-Jack made it clear that the job isn't finished. She emphasized that the long-term survival of these reforms now rests squarely on the shoulders of the civil servants she leaves behind. Policies on paper, she noted, mean very little without dedicated individuals breathing life into them through their daily responsibilities.

Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Looking toward the future, Walson-Jack highlighted that transforming the civil service requires a dual focus: building stronger institutions and cultivating more capable leaders.

This vision drove the decision to anchor this year’s Civil Service Week around mentoring and digital transformation. She described mentoring as a critical tool for succession planning—ensuring that invaluable institutional knowledge is successfully passed down to the next generation of public sector leaders.