The Federal Government and the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation have called for accelerated digital transformation across Nigeria’s civil service, with a push to end manual and opaque governance systems in Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
President Bola Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, gave the directive on Wednesday while declaring open the 2026 International Civil Service Conference at Eagle Square, Abuja.
The conference, organised by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, attracted over 5,000 participants, including delegates from 16 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia and North America, under the theme, “Reforms, Resilience, and Results.”
Tinubu directed MDAs to deepen digitalised work processes as part of broader reforms aimed at improving efficiency, transparency and service delivery in government institutions.
Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said meaningful public sector reforms would require stronger collaboration between government and the private sector.
Delivering a keynote address titled, “Public-Private Collaboration for Service Delivery and Innovation,” he said governance reforms must focus on building institutions capable of delivering measurable results to citizens.
“The true measure of whether government is working or not is whether a passport is issued on time, roads are completed on schedule, hospitals function, pensions are paid without distress, and businesses can be registered without bureaucracy,” he said.
Aig-Imoukhuede also urged business leaders to work more closely with government institutions to improve service delivery and strengthen governance systems.
“The most successful nations are those where government and business work together, not against each other, as no government can do it alone,” he added.
The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, which returned as Diamond Partner for the conference, said its participation centred on promoting innovation, collaboration and institutional capacity within the civil service.
As part of its contribution to the event, the foundation organised an alumni-led roundtable session titled “Navigating Public Sector Reform,” bringing together alumni of the AIG Public Leaders Programme, heads of MDAs and private sector stakeholders to discuss strategies for implementing sustainable reforms.
Executive Vice Chair of the foundation, Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, said the partnership reflected the organisation’s long-term commitment to strengthening governance institutions.
“The Civil Service remains central to national development. Our continued partnership reflects our commitment to supporting public sector leaders with the tools, networks, and capabilities required to drive results,” she said.
The foundation noted that its engagement at the conference builds on existing collaborations with the Federal Civil Service through initiatives such as the AIG Public Leaders Programme, the AIG Scholarships and Fellowship Programme, and support for the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025.
Founded by Aigboje and Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, the foundation is a public sector-focused philanthropic organisation supporting governance reforms across Africa through financing, strategic advisory services and capacity-building programmes aimed at improving public service delivery.
