By Taiwo Oguniyi, Ilorin | Oct. 17, 2025
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) has called on civil servants across the country to uphold professionalism, ethical conduct, and continuous learning as essential tools for transforming public service and driving sustainable national development.
President and Chairman of the Governing Council of CIPM, Mallam Ahmed Ladan Gobir, made the call during the Kwara State Branch Annual Public Lecture and launch of its maiden newsletter held in Ilorin. Speaking virtually, Gobir said true leadership and excellence are not about titles but about the lasting impact individuals make in their service to society, adding that “professionalism is not just about what we do but how and why we do it — as public servants, we are custodians of trust and integrity.”
Gobir observed that despite over 70 per cent of Nigeria’s annual budget being spent on recurrent expenditure, mainly personnel costs, productivity in the public sector remains below expectations. He described this as an opportunity to “reimagine the civil service as an engine of innovation, ethics, and performance,” while warning that “service without standards is sentiment, and growth without ethics is dangerous.” He also commended the Kwara State branch for its commitment and for launching the newsletter, which he described as “another milestone of professionalism and growth.”
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary for Service Welfare in the Office of the Kwara State Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Shittu Olufunke Mercy, stressed the need for public servants to embrace innovation and adopt smarter, technology-driven processes to enhance productivity. She said, “Kwara is predominantly a civil service state, and there is a need to review and modernize how we work. There has been a revolution in work processes globally, and we must catch up by adopting HR analytics and efficient methods that make our work smarter, not harder.”
Dr. Shittu identified punctuality, diligence, courtesy, integrity, and resourcefulness as core civil service values that must be sustained, noting that effective service delivery remains critical to good governance. She urged workers to embrace lifelong learning and cultivate analytical thinking, teamwork, and problem-solving skills, emphasizing that “career advancement depends on deliberate effort and commitment to service excellence.”
Chairperson of the CIPM Kwara State Branch, Mrs. Azeezat Quadri Ibrahim, described the event as the beginning of a new tradition that would promote thought leadership and inspire excellence in the human resource profession. She commended the national leadership of CIPM for supporting the branch’s IMPACT Agenda — a roadmap focused on institutional strengthening, membership growth, and community responsibility — and encouraged civil servants to join the institute for career development and recognition.
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Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Mrs. Bolanle Olukoju, lauded CIPM for promoting ethics and professionalism in the civil service, assuring that the state government would continue to prioritize capacity building to strengthen the public workforce. She urged civil servants to uphold integrity and leave behind a legacy of excellence, while the event’s Planning Committee Chairperson, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Olaniyi, appreciated guests and reaffirmed CIPM’s commitment to advancing professionalism and ethical growth across all sectors. The programme was attended by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Mamman Saba Jibril, national executives of CIPM, government officials, and other distinguished guests.
