Federal Civil Service Honours Top Performers, Urges More Nominations

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to institutionalising a performance-driven culture in the Federal Civil Service through a structured rewards and recognition system aimed at promoting excellence, innovation, professionalism and accountability.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HOCSF), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, stated this in Abuja at the 2026 Federal Civil Service Rewards and Recognition Award Ceremony held at the State House.
Walson-Jack disclosed that only nine of the 29 Federal Ministries that submitted nominations for the 2026 awards fully complied with the guidelines covering the six award categories. She expressed concern that the programme recorded its lowest number of recipients.
“Excellent Civil Servants cannot be recognised if their Ministries do not nominate them. The Awards Selection Committee is diligent, but it is not a committee that reads minds,” she said, urging Permanent Secretaries to ensure full implementation of the Rewards and Recognition System.

The Head of Service explained that the system operates through Monthly Departmental, Annual Ministerial and Service-Wide Rewards and Recognition components. She said it was designed to institutionalise excellence and reward officers who demonstrate hard work, creativity, discipline, resilience and commitment to public service.
She commended the Ministries of Youth Development; Industry, Trade and Investment; Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs; Regional Development; and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for consistently implementing the Monthly Departmental Awards Programme and submitting the required reports.
Representing the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, the Permanent Secretary, Special Services Office, Aminu Yargaya, commended the institutionalisation of rewards and recognition, saying the Federal Civil Service remained the machinery through which government policies and national priorities were translated into programmes and projects for citizens.
He said the Tinubu administration had elevated rewards for hard work and diligence from an occasional practice to an institutionalised system of performance recognition.
Yargaya noted that policies approved by the Federal Executive Council, including the Rewards and Recognition Policy, Incentive and Consequence Management Policy and Civil Service Mentoring Policy, were aimed at promoting high performance, retaining talent and improving service delivery.
The awards included the Presidential Distinguished Civil Service Career Award, presented to Dr Mrs Claris Nwaejuaafo Ujam, and the Presidential Civil Service Merit Award, presented to Abumoye Ayo Emmanuel.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation EPIC Award went to Anthony Okechukwu Ogwo and Peter Ochoche Emmanuel, while the Civil Service Excellence Award was presented to the Youth Help Desk, Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Leadership Award was presented to the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, while the Sports Achievement Award went to Aseyaiseimor Pente Kelvin.