1 month ago
5 ARTICLE AD
It is no longer news that new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, has formally taken over from her predecessor, Folasade Yemi-Esan.
Walson-Jack was appointed HoSC of the Federation, on July 17, 2024, and was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu within the week in Abuja.
In her first address upon resuming office, Walson-Jack solemnly vowed to build on the work laid out by Yemi-Esan under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025.
She said, “I am committed to advancing the ongoing reforms and ensuring the fulfillment of our mandates in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration,”
Acknowledging the significance of this milestone in her career, Walson-Jack expressed a strong resolve to continue the good work of her predecessor. “I embrace this appointment wholeheartedly, and I am determined to uphold the standards and further the progress made in the civil service.
“I see it as a divine assignment, and I had the opportunity to assure Mr. President that, by the grace of God, I will not disappoint him,” she affirmed.
Before her appointment, Walson-Jack served as the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education since January 2024.
Her career in public service is marked by a series of significant roles at both state and federal levels. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987.
Walson-Jack’s extensive experience includes pioneering work as a state counsel in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice and later, as a key figure in establishing the Bayelsa State Ministry of Justice. Her achievements include being the only certified legal drafter in Bayelsa State, where she was responsible for drafting all edicts and executive bills from 1996 to 2002.
Walson-Jack is not only a seasoned public administrator but also a gender activist and an Ambassador to FEMinWASH, a network of female professionals in water, sanitation, and hygiene in Nigeria. Her contributions to the WASH sector include developing the WASH Gender Policy during her tenure at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources.
Her accomplishments have been widely recognised, earning her several awards, including the African Iconic Female Administrator of the Year, in 2024, and an Award of Excellence from the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs. She is also a member of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Nigeria’s foremost public policy think tank.
Congratulating her, the Bayelsa and Rivers state governors, Duoye Diri and Siminalayi Fubara respectively, expressed their pride in her accomplishment.
Fubara commended her for not only being a trailblazer but also for breaking the glass ceiling as an ambassador of the state and the Niger Delta region.
On his part, Diri stated that her appointment was a significant milestone in her public service career.
He added, “The government and people of Bayelsa State, and, indeed, the Ijaw nation, are excited about this remarkable advancement and achievement of a worthy daughter of our state, and the Ijaw nation.”
