Kano — Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State has reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening the civil service through reforms, improved welfare, and consistent investment in workers’ career development.
The governor made the remarks while declaring open the 47th National Council on Establishments (NCE) meeting in Kano. Represented by Secretary to the State Government (SSG) Umar Ibrahim, Yusuf emphasized that the civil service remains the engine of governance, central to national development, professionalism, and effective policy implementation.
“Hosting the NCE in Kano reflects confidence in the state’s administrative heritage and its long-standing contributions to shaping Nigeria’s public service structure,” he said. The governor highlighted Kano’s history of producing distinguished civil servants who have risen to top federal positions, citing it as evidence of the state’s discipline, integrity, and administrative excellence.
Yusuf outlined reforms undertaken by his administration to enhance productivity, including:
- Revitalizing the Local Government Service Commission to ensure predictable promotions and full access to establishment benefits for grassroots workers.
- Expanding training opportunities and implementing merit-based promotions.
- Providing modern working tools and advancing digital transformation to boost efficiency.
- Settling more than half of the N48 billion pension and gratuity backlog inherited from previous administrations, with a promise to clear the remaining balance soon.
“This intervention reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that no retired worker leaves the service with uncertainty or unfulfilled entitlements,” Yusuf stated.
He also highlighted Kano’s pioneering initiatives later adopted nationally, including the Primary School Feeding Programme, May Day celebrations, Science and Technical Schools, and the Agency for Mass Education.
Commending the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, Yusuf noted her reform-driven leadership and the improved synergy between federal and state civil services through study tours, executive retreats, and international conferences. He called on NCE delegates to adopt resolutions that would advance an efficient, productive, and citizen-centred public service.
Earlier, Walson-Jack stressed that the success of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda depends on an efficient, professional, and accountable civil service. She urged deeper collaboration and harmonised standards across federal and state civil services to ensure a future-ready public service.
She also praised Yusuf for worker-friendly policies and unwavering support for national development, highlighting the state’s hospitality as a reflection of its commitment to national unity and service excellence. Walson-Jack lauded Alhaji Abdullahi Musa, Head of Service of Kano State, as “an outstanding and highly valued member of the Body of Heads of Civil Service of Nigeria.”
She described the NCE as the highest decision-making platform on establishment matters, playing a critical role in shaping institutional reforms, workforce competence, and service delivery across the federation.
“The Civil Service is the backbone of governance, the stabilising force of the state, and the engine through which policies translate into real impact for citizens. No nation rises above the quality of its Public Service,” she concluded.