Former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Kingsley Moghalu, has called for far-reaching reforms in Nigeria’s civil service, insisting that competent governance remains the foundation for sustainable economic transformation and national stability.
Moghalu made the call on Wednesday while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 International Civil Service Conference organised by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation in Abuja.
Speaking on the theme, “Governance Reform, Economic Transformation and Regional Stability,” the President of the Institute for Governance and Economic Transformation (IGET Academy) said Nigeria cannot achieve meaningful development without strengthening governance institutions and promoting merit-based public administration.
According to him, effective governance is critical to economic prosperity and national peace.
“Effective governance is not a luxury; it is the indispensable foundation for prosperity and peace,” he said.
Moghalu urged ministries, departments and government agencies to adopt private-sector principles such as strategic planning, risk management, transparency and accountability.
“Public institutions must treat citizens as stakeholders who deserve returns on public resources,” he stated.
Drawing lessons from countries such as Singapore, South Korea, China and Botswana, the former CBN deputy governor outlined governance capacity, human development, structural transformation and inclusive growth as key pillars for national development.
He noted that despite Nigeria’s large economy and corporate revenues, the country’s GDP per capita stood at about $1,556 in 2026, placing it among the lower-ranked economies globally.
Moghalu identified four critical areas of state capacity — protective, extractive, administrative and business environment — stressing the need for merit-based recruitment, depoliticised governance and zero tolerance for corruption.
He also advocated selective adoption of modern public management practices to improve efficiency within the civil service.
Linking governance challenges to insecurity, Moghalu said corruption, weak institutions and poor service delivery continue to worsen poverty and social instability across the country.
“Governance reform is the gateway to economic transformation and regional stability,” he said.
“Our civil service holds the keys to unlocking it.”
The conference brought together senior government officials, policy experts and civil servants to discuss strategies for strengthening governance and improving public sector performance in Nigeria.
