Vice-President Kashim Shettima will on Wednesday October 28 declare open the 2026 colloquium of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS) bringing together serving and retired public service leaders to discuss governance and national development.
The event themed ‘Navigating the Headwinds of Governance: Centrality of the Civil Service’ will be held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Rotunda Conference Hall in Abuja.
It is the flagship event of the two-day 2026 CORFEPS Week scheduled for October 28 and 29.
Olusegun O. Adekunle chairman of the CORFEPS Planning Committee said this in a statement.
The immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha will deliver the lead paper drawing on his experience in public administration and governance.
The paper will be reviewed by a panel comprising the immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack; a retired Federal Permanent Secretary and pioneer Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination Dr Habiba Lawal; and the Permanent Secretary Common Services Office Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Dr MacKalba Danjuma Usman.
Senator Cyril Olawale Fasuyi Chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters will chair the session.
Discussions will focus on strengthening the civil service’s institutional permanence impartiality transparency accountability efficiency productivity and integrity while promoting citizen-centred service delivery amid contemporary governance challenges and preparations for another political transition.
The colloquium will also unveil the maiden edition of the CORFEPS Journal an initiative aimed at promoting informed discussions on public administration governance and national development.
According to the statement the event is expected to attract members of the Federal Executive Council serving and retired permanent secretaries heads of government agencies and commissions industry leaders diplomats development partners civil servants civil society groups and the media.
The National Chairman of CORFEPS Mahmud Yayale Ahmed will welcome participants including distinguished public service figures such as Engr. Ebele Okeke Nigeria’s first female Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Activities will continue Thursday October 29 with the Council’s Annual General Meeting at 10 am at the Olusegun Obasanjo Hall Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Federal Secretariat Abuja.
The programme will end with the CORFEPS Dinner and Awards Evening at 7 pm at Aso Hall Abuja Continental Hotel Wuse Zone 4 Abuja.
Instituted in 2025 the CORFEPS Awards recognise individuals whose contributions have strengthened the Nigerian civil service and advanced national development.
This year’s ceremony will honour additional founding icons of the Council and former heads of the civil service. The Council said the awards celebrate the contributions of past public service leaders and establish a credible transparent framework for recognising outstanding service by serving officials.
The 2026 CORFEPS Week underscores the Council’s commitment to drawing on the institutional memory and expertise of retired public service leaders to promote a more effective accountable and citizen-focused civil service.