The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has stressed the urgent need to reposition Human Resource (HR) in government, since it constitutes the ‘nervous system of any organisation’; as it also unveiled the ‘HR Initiative’, a reform aimed at professionalising HR Management within the Federal Civil Service.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, made the call at a high- profile sensitisation workshop, held at OHCSF, in Abuja.
Walson-Jack, in her keynote address at the event, argued that repositioning HR management within the public service, especially among federal civil servants, had become one of the key imperatives to enhancing professionalism.
She noted that the reform, anchored on global best practices, would ensure that career progression into directorate- level roles, requires professional certification in Human Resource Management.
The Head of the Federal Service, therefore, enlisted CIPM’s support in successfully prosecuting the reform agenda; since the institution remains the only one with statutory authority to certify HR professionals in Nigeria, in line with its enabling Act.
‘ We believe this, therefore, positions CIPM as the indispensable partner in delivering the professionalisation agenda of the Office,’ she stated.
Expressing the institute’s delight at the OHCSF’s reform, its President and Chairman of the Governing Council, Mallam Ahmed LadanGobir, described the reform as ‘a defining moment for Nigeria’s public sector.’
He assured that with CIPM’s decades-long commitment to advancing HR standards, the Institute is fully prepared to guide the civil service through the transformation.
‘CIPM is proud to play a pivotal role in shaping a new era of professionalism, competence, and accountability in the Federal Civil Service.
‘This reform reinforces our mandate to develop ethical and world-class HR practitioners who drive sustainable people and organisational performance,’ Gobir said.
The CIPM boss expressed the optimism that the HR Initiative would introduce a National HR Competency Framework, Accreditation by CIPM and international partners, curriculum review for Management Development Institutes, and a transition plan, requiring officers in HR roles to commence certification within 12 months.
He, therefore, expressed the strong belief that, by January 2026, preference in HR postings would only go to certified or actively certifying professionals.
Gobir also expressed the hope that the reform, which is in line with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP25), would institutionalise HR as a specialised, professional function rather than a generalist administrative role.