The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mr Olumuyiwa Enitan Abel, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to inclusive leadership, women’s career advancement and gender equality through ongoing public service reforms.
Abel said women accounted for 43.84 per cent of the Federal Civil Service workforce, while they represented 42.31 per cent of senior officers on Grade Levels 15 to 17.
He disclosed that women’s representation at Grade Level 17 stood at 40.11 per cent, stressing the need for deliberate measures to improve their career progression and representation at the highest levels of leadership.
The HCSF made the remarks in his goodwill message at a 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 in Abuja.
He highlighted the strategic partnership between the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and UN Women, anchored on a five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed at the 2026 International Civil Service Conference.
According to him, the partnership is designed to advance gender-responsive public sector reforms and promote women’s professional development.
Abel also underscored the importance of the Inclusive Network for Supporting Progressive Leadership, Innovation, Reform and Equity for Women (INSPIRE), launched by the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
He described the initiative as a platform for developing women’s leadership capacity through mentoring, professional advancement and greater institutional inclusion.
While acknowledging women’s contributions to public administration, the HCSF said sustained efforts were required to ensure that they had equal opportunities to advance into senior management and leadership positions.
He identified 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.
According to him, the measures provide a foundation for a more inclusive civil service that promotes equal opportunities, workforce productivity and institutional effectiveness.
Abel reaffirmed the OHCSF’s readiness to collaborate with UN Women and development partners to strengthen implementation, build institutional capacity and establish measurable outcomes for women’s leadership and professional advancement across the public service.
In her remarks, the UN Women Representative to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Ms Beatrice Eyong, commended the Federal Civil Service for its commitment to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Eyong described the five-year Memorandum of Understanding between the OHCSF and UN Women as a strong foundation for advancing gender-responsive governance.
She also 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 called for sustained collaboration, coordinated interventions and adequate investment to accelerate gender equality and women’s empowerment in the country.
The development was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Relations, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Eno Olotu.
