HCSF reiterates commitment to inclusive leadership, women’s career development

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mr. Olumuyiwa Enitan Abel, has reaffirmed the Federal Civil Service’s commitment to promoting inclusive leadership, strengthening women’s career progression and advancing gender equality through ongoing public service reforms.

The HCSF stated this in his goodwill message at the High-Level Strategy Meeting with Heads of Cooperation and Key Stakeholders on Accelerating Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Nigeria, organised by UN Women on Monday, 26 October 2026, at the UN House, Abuja.

This is contained in a statement on Tuesday by Mrs Eno Olotu, Director, Press and Public Relations, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF).

Mr. Abel highlighted the strategic partnership between the OHCSF and UN Women, anchored on a five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed at the 2026 International Civil Service Conference to advance gender-responsive public sector reforms and women’s advancement.

He also emphasised the importance of the Inclusive Network for Supporting Progressive Leadership, Innovation, Reform and Equity for Women (INSPIRE), launched by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, as a platform for women’s leadership development, mentoring, professional advancement and institutional inclusion.

The HCSF disclosed that preliminary workforce analysis shows that women constitute 43.84 per cent of the Federal Civil Service and 42.31 per cent of senior officers on Grade Levels 15–17, with representation at Grade Level 17 standing at 40.11 per cent. While acknowledging women’s significant contributions to public administration, he stressed the need for deliberate measures to strengthen their career progression and representation at the highest levels of leadership.

He further highlighted existing institutional provisions supporting women and families, including 112 working days of maternity leave with full pay, merit-based career progression and safeguards against workplace harassment.

Mr Abel noted that these measures provide a foundation for building a more inclusive Civil Service that promotes equal opportunities, workforce productivity and institutional effectiveness.

The HCSF reaffirmed the OHCSF’s readiness to work with UN Women and development partners to strengthen implementation, build institutional capacity and establish measurable outcomes that promote women’s leadership and professional advancement across the public service.

In her remarks, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Ms. Beatrice Eyong, commended the Federal Civil Service’s commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.

She described the five-year Memorandum of Understanding with the OHCSF as a strong foundation for advancing gender-responsive governance and reaffirmed UN Women’s readiness to provide technical support towards achieving measurable and sustainable outcomes for women and girls across Nigeria.

Other stakeholders at the meeting underscored the importance of sustained collaboration, coordinated interventions and adequate investment in accelerating gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria.