FCSC boss calls for civil service overhaul in Africa 

The chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC), Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has called for a reassessment of the Civil Service Commission’s foundational philosophy to better align with Africa’s diverse management policies.

Olaopa emphasised the need for a strategic overhaul to prepare the African Public Service Community for the challenges of the fourth and fifth industrial revolutions.

He made these remarks while receiving a delegation from the Association of African Public Service Commissioners (AAPSCOM), led by Dr. Choolwe Beyani, Chairperson of the Civil Service Commission of Zambia, on an official visit to the Commission.

Highlighting the historical roots of the Civil Service Commission as conceived by the British, Olaopa noted that meritocracy faces significant challenges across Africa.

He stressed that revitalizing public administration in Africa requires strategic re-profiling and a professionalised public service capable of driving the continent’s renaissance.

Olaopa pledged his full support for AAPSCOM’s efforts to build a robust African Public Service Association, recognizing the impact of technological advancements, artificial intelligence, and the evolving preferences of millennial and Gen-Z public managers on traditional public administration practices.

He added that millennials “are interested in job security, they are not interested in lifetime career employment. I am recruited on level 8, I stayed till 35. I retired at 60. That is not their take. This generation has already communicated their preference for those who are following up on HR conversations both in the private sector and the industry.

“The preference they have is for workforce flexibility. They want to negotiate their time. They want flexi-working timing. So that they can pursue other rewarding things so that they are not confined to any particular job.”

This shift, Olaopa argued, necessitates a rethinking of HR strategies within the public service to accommodate these new dynamics.

In his remarks, Dr. Beyani acknowledged Nigeria’s pivotal role as a founding member of AAPSCOM in 2008. He outlined the association’s objectives of fostering best practices, promoting professionalism, and conducting research in public administration across Africa.

Beyani explained that the delegation’s visit aimed to reconnect with members after communication barriers emerged in 2019 and to mobilise support for the upcoming General Assembly in Nairobi, Kenya.