The Federal Government has justified its recent decision to award 18 exemplary civil servants with brand-new sports utility vehicles (SUVs), laptops, and other valuable incentives, emphasizing that these rewards recognize their quiet yet impactful contributions to public service reform.
At the 2025 Civil Service Awards Night held on Saturday in Abuja, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the recipients as “quiet reformers whose daily efforts often go unnoticed but are critical to national development.” She highlighted that the honourees were selected for their consistent demonstration of excellence, integrity, and discipline within a challenging system.
“They show up on time, meet deadlines, write policies, fix systems, and still manage to maintain a smile. Tonight, we pause to acknowledge the busyness and say: we see you. We thank you. We honour you,” Walson-Jack said, according to okay.ng reports.
Among the awardees, Dr. Bahijjatu Hadiza from the Federal Ministry of Environment received the presidential star prize, which included an SUV, an award plaque, a laptop, a foreign short course, a masterclass programme, and an award certificate. Similarly, Chukwudi Ekwenugo from the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy was rewarded with an SUV, N500,000 in cash, a laptop, and a foreign short course.
Other recipients were given cash prizes ranging from N250,000 to N500,000 alongside laptops and other incentives. Mrs. Walson-Jack encouraged civil servants who were not recognized this year to remain motivated, stating, “Recognition may take time, but it will come. Do your work so well that it cannot be ignored.”
She also expressed disappointment that some Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) either failed to submit nominations or presented candidates who did not meet the criteria, urging for better compliance and seriousness in future awards.
The awards ceremony followed the inaugural International Civil Service Conference held earlier in the week at Eagle Square, which attracted over 5,000 delegates from around the world to discuss innovations in public sector management. During the event, two federal ministries were also honoured.
Walson-Jack praised President Bola Tinubu for his support of civil service reforms, citing recent advancements in digitisation, performance management, and welfare improvements, including the new minimum wage and pension reforms. She emphasized the importance of punctuality and discipline, urging civil servants to resume work by 8:00 am as a mark of respect for the system, colleagues, and citizens.
In his address, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, commended the resilience and dedication of Nigeria’s civil servants, calling them the backbone of governance and national development. He assured that the Tinubu administration remains committed to fostering an enabling environment for public service through reforms promoting merit, innovation, and accountability.
