The Federal Ministry of Defence has intensified efforts to modernise its administrative system by mobilising senior officials to drive civil service reforms.
The reform is aimed at improving institutional efficiency, digital governance and service delivery across Nigeria’s defence establishment.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Richard Pheelangwah, disclosed this during the opening of a sensitisation programme for Directors, Service Improvement Officers, Service Charter Officers and Departmental Focal Officers at the Ministry’s headquarters in Abuja.
He said the reforms align with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the transformation programme of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, positioning the Ministry to become more transparent, accountable and citizen-centred.
Pheelangwah identified the Federal Civil Service Mentoring Programme, the Enhanced Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) Self-Service Platform, and the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2025–2030 as the three flagship reforms expected to reshape public sector administration within the Ministry.
According to him, the mentoring initiative will preserve institutional memory by transferring knowledge from experienced officers to younger personnel, while the upgraded IPPIS Self-Service Platform will enable officers to securely manage personnel and payroll records, reducing bureaucratic delays and improving operational efficiency.
He added that the FCSSIP 2025–2030 provides a long-term framework for strengthening institutional capacity through innovation, performance management, digital governance, staff development and evidence-based decision-making to improve service delivery across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Pheelangwah stressed that the Ministry of Defence, as the administrative backbone of Nigeria’s defence architecture, must continue strengthening its internal governance systems to support effective policy implementation, personnel management and national security objectives.
He urged Service Improvement Officers and departmental focal officers to champion the reform agenda by promoting mentoring, encouraging wider adoption of the IPPIS platform and implementing practical service improvement initiatives within their respective departments.
Earlier, the Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Mrs Ogidi-Paul, said the programme was designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the relaunched IPPIS Self-Service Platform while equipping them with practical knowledge to maximise the benefits of ongoing civil service reforms. She commended the Permanent Secretary for his support of the initiative.
The sensitisation programme featured presentations on the Federal Civil Service Mentoring Programme, the Enhanced IPPIS Self-Service Platform and the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan, underscoring the Ministry’s commitment to building a more professional, technology-driven and performance-oriented public service.
