Nigeria’s first lady, Oluremi Tinubu, says the government will continue to empower women for leadership opportunities across Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service.
She stated this in Abuja, at the launch of the INSPIRE project, as part of activities marking the 2026 International Civil Service Week.
According to her, the initiative speaks to the kind of civil service that must be built to support the workforce, reward competence, promote fairness, encourage innovation, create opportunities for professional growth, and truly reflect equity and excellence.
She said across the public Service, women continue to make significant contributions.
“As administrators, professionals, technical officers, managers, and leaders, many of them carry their responsibility with quiet, strength, dignity, discipline, and dedication”.
“While acknowledging the progress made, we must also recognise the need for more inclusion, which is most meaningful when it comes to the opportunities we contribute, shape decisions, and improve our lives*.
”We must also recognise the need for more inclusion and influence outcomes. Therefore, inspiration is timely and crucial, because it is here to us to provide stronger workplace participation and efficiency”.
READ ALSO: Governor Adeleke Urges Stronger Civil Service To Boost South-West
She further noted that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration is premised on inclusion, productivity, economic growth and national transformation, where women are empowered.
Senator Oluremi Tinubu noted that leadership development should not begin only when a woman becomes the permanent secretary; it must begin early.
She enjoined the women of the Nigerian civil service to contribute to striving for excellence, invest in their growth, embrace innovation and digital skills, support one another, and remain committed to service with integrity and dignity.
She added that the success of INSPIRE will not be measured only by today’s launch, but by the impact it creates in the years ahead, emphasising that Nigeria needs institutions that can think, adapt, innovate, and compete globally.
She commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, and her entire team for the vision behind INSPIRE.
For her part, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said the Service remains committed to advancing opportunities for women across Nigeria’s civil service, equipping and inspiring them to lead with competence, courage, and passion in positions of power and decision-making. Including representation, mentorship, partnership, networking, and institutional culture, Empower seeks to address the structural barriers that have historically constrained the advancement of women in the public sector.
She explained that the programme provides a structured framework for leadership development, peer mentoring, career visibility, institutional advocacy, and policy reform, with clear metrics for success. It will support women at all career levels from junior officers to senior executives within a living network that sustains momentum far beyond conferences and workshops.
Innovation must benefit from women’s ideas. Leadership must recognize women’s capacity. Results must reflect the full strength of our workforce”.
The theme of this conference, “Women’s Resilience and Growth,” speaks directly to the spirit and purpose of this summit.
The Head of Service noted with emphasis that reform cannot be truly transformational without women’s participation and leadership saying resilience cannot endure without inclusion.
She added that empowerment must not be a one-time initiative, but must take root as a sustainable and evolving institution that provides mentorship, creates opportunities, encourages solidarity among women across career levels, and challenges our institutions to dismantle every structural barrier to merit and excellence.
