The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) acting Head of Service, Mrs Nancy Sabanti Nathan, has pledged to institute sweeping reforms within the civil service to actualise the mandate of good governance in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Nathan made this known on Wednesday while addressing a select group of journalists at the FCTA headquarters after her appointment.
She described the civil service as an institution fundamentally governed by rules and regulations, stressing her unwavering determination to strengthen professionalism, enhance staff welfare, and drastically improve service delivery across all secretariats, departments, and agencies.
The acting head of Service began by expressing her profound gratitude to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, and the minister of State, Dr Mariya Mahmoud, for the confidence reposed in her.
She described her appointment not as a personal accolade, but as a testament to the collective potential of the FCT workforce.
“The training of staff will be my top priority, as it equips civil servants to effectively deliver on the mandate entrusted to them.
“The present FCT Minister has shown passion and love for his staff, who are the foot soldiers behind today’s celebrated successes, and I am committed to consolidating these gains,” she said.
The new acting Head of Service also commiserated with the family of her predecessor, the late Head of Service, Pastor Grace Adayilo, whom she described as a friend and elder sister.
She offered prayers for the family, asking God to grant them the fortitude to bear the immense loss.
Nathan’s appointment is seen as the culmination of a distinguished 33-year career dedicated to public service within the FCT.
A native of Demsa LGA in Adamawa State, she began her career as an Education Officer II in 1991 after obtaining degrees from the University of Maiduguri and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
Her professional journey is uniquely intertwined with the development of the nation’s capital.
She was among the pioneer 500 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members deployed to the FCT in 1991, who opened the Kubwa temporary orientation camp.
In a fitting turn of fate, she later became the pioneer permanent secretary of the Youth and Sports Development Secretariat, the very body that supervises the NYSC.
As she assumes the office of the head of service, Nathan reaffirmed her resolve to uphold the core principles of transparency, accountability, and teamwork.
She concluded with a call to action for all civil servants, urging them to join hands in driving the sustainable growth and development of the FCT, setting a collaborative tone for the reforms to come.
