Governor Abba Yusuf has reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening the civil service through reforms, improved welfare and consistent investment in workers’ career development.

Mr Yusuf stated this while declaring open the 47th National Council on Establishments meeting in Kano.

Mr Yusuf said the civil service remained the engine of governance and central to national development, professionalism and effective policy implementation.

He said hosting the NCE in Kano reflected confidence in Kano’s administrative heritage and its long-standing contributions to shaping Nigeria’s public service structure.

The governor stated that Kano had produced distinguished civil servants who rose to top federal positions, adding that their achievements demonstrated the state’s history of discipline, integrity and administrative excellence.

Mr Yusuf said his administration had prioritised reforms to enhance productivity, including revitalising the Local Government Service Commission to ensure predictable promotions and full access to establishment benefits for workers at the grassroots.

He said the state had expanded training opportunities, implemented merit-based promotions, provided modern working tools, and advanced digital transformation to boost efficiency.

According to him, the government has also settled more than half of the N48 billion pension and gratuity backlog inherited from previous administrations, assuring the remaining balance would be cleared soon.

“This intervention is a reaffirmation of our commitment to ensuring that no retired worker leaves the service with uncertainty or unfulfilled entitlements,” he said.

Mr Yusuf further highlighted Kano’s record of pioneering innovations later adopted nationally, such as the Primary School Feeding Programme, May Day celebrations, Science and Technical schools, and the Agency for Mass Education.

He commended the head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, for her reform-driven leadership and for improved synergy between the federal and state civil services through study tours, executive retreats, and international conferences.

The governor expressed Kano’s readiness to support future national civil service initiatives and called on NCE delegates to adopt resolutions that would advance an efficient, productive and citizen-centred public service.

Ms Walson-Jack said the success of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda depended largely on an efficient, professional and accountable civil service.

She said the administration’s socio-economic reforms could only be sustained through a workforce equipped with the right skills, values and motivation to drive national development.

Ms Walson-Jack called for deeper collaboration and harmonised standards across the federal and state civil services to deliver a more efficient and future-ready Public Service.

She commended Mr Yusuf for providing what she described as “worker-friendly policies and unwavering support for national development initiatives”, noting that the hospitality of the state exemplifies its commitment to national unity and service excellence.

The HoS equally lauded Kano’s head of service, Abdullahi Musa, describing him as “an outstanding and highly valued member of the Body of Heads of Civil Service of Nigeria”.

According to her, the NCE remains the highest decision-making platform on establishment matters and plays a critical role in shaping institutional reforms, workforce competence and service delivery across the federation.

(NAN)