Aide Celebrates Oyo-Ita over Civil Service Reforms

A former head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, has been applauded for her far-reaching reforms that reshaped Nigeria’s civil service between 2017 and 2019.

Reacting to her critics, who, rather than re-echoing the roadmap achievements made to reshape the civil service, preferred to pay her with criticism, her media associate, Ofem Uket, urged Nigerians to lean towards rewarding hard work instead of embarking on Image-damaging.

Uket said Oyo-Ita is credited with introducing the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP), a comprehensive reform agenda designed to modernise operations, strengthen accountability, and improve service delivery.

She also championed the “EPIC” culture, advocating for a civil service that is Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible, and Citizen-Centred, a philosophy that became a guiding principle across ministries and agencies.

He stressed that she is a strong advocate of digitalisation. In his words, “She pushed for a paperless environment through the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system, improving productivity and information sharing.

“She spearheaded the digitisation of records for federal employees, laying the foundation for the Human Resource module of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

“Her emphasis on capacity building saw over 1,000 civil servants trained across various sectors within three years. She also oversaw the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), which gained new clinics, hotels, and classrooms to enhance training facilities.”

To boost morale and performance, Uket said that Oyo-Ita introduced a Reward and Recognition Policy to incentivise outstanding civil servants. She further supported the establishment of the Efficiency Unit within the Ministry of Finance, helping to block leaks and reduce waste in government spending.

He recalled that her tenure also prioritised welfare, with the launch of the Federal Integrated Staff Housing (FISH) programme to address housing challenges faced by civil servants.

Analysts note that Oyo-Ita’s leadership left a lasting imprint on Nigeria’s civil service, positioning it on a path toward modernisation, accountability, and improved service delivery. Her reforms continue to serve as a reference point for ongoing efforts to strengthen governance and public administration in the country.