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The Government of The Gambia has announced plans to adopt key elements of Nigeria’s civil service reform programme as part of efforts to strengthen governance and enhance public service delivery.
The decision was disclosed on Monday in Abuja during a strategic study visit by a Gambian delegation led by the Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service of The Gambia, Alieu Njie.
The visit, scheduled for June 20 to June 24, is intended to enable Gambian officials to study Nigeria’s public service transformation initiatives, exchange knowledge, and identify practical reforms that can be adapted to their country. It is also aimed at deepening bilateral cooperation through institutional learning and reform partnerships.
Speaking during a visit to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Njie described Nigeria’s civil service as a model for other African countries.
He particularly praised Nigeria’s Civil Service Anthem, saying it could inspire commitment, discipline, and professionalism among public servants.
“Your civil service anthem is something that has moved me. It is something that any civil servant, if you listen to it every morning and sing the song every morning, you know how important it is,” he said.
“Obviously, it leads you in a direction. That alone is something I can confidently tell you will be part of my reforms,” he added.
Njie described Nigeria as a “big brother” to The Gambia and Africa as a whole, citing longstanding historical and institutional ties between both countries.
According to him, the two nations share similar colonial histories and have maintained close cooperation in education, defence, healthcare, and the judiciary.
He noted that nearly 70 per cent of Gambian civil servants received their university education in Nigeria, while Nigerian professionals continue to contribute significantly to The Gambia’s development.
Njie also highlighted reforms already implemented in his country, including changes in pension administration, policy management, human resource development, and public service restructuring.
He explained that the merger of the Office of the Secretary to the Cabinet and the Office of the Head of the Civil Service had improved coordination between policy formulation and implementation.
“Being part of the cabinet where policies are formulated and also handling implementation makes my work easier,” he said.
Njie said The Gambia is focused on implementation, sustainability, and change management, adding that the country hopes to learn from Nigeria’s reform successes.
“Our aim is to identify concrete measures that The Gambia can adopt to accelerate civil service transformation, and there is nowhere we can get it better than Nigeria,” he stated.
He said the delegation was particularly interested in studying Nigeria’s digital personnel and payroll systems, performance management frameworks, staff welfare policies, mentoring initiatives, employee retention programmes, and mechanisms for sustaining reforms.
“We will return to The Gambia ready to translate lessons from this visit into concrete actions that will improve governance and service delivery for our citizens,” he said.
Responding, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, said Nigeria was willing to share its reform experiences with The Gambia while also learning from the Gambian public service system.
She noted that the merger of the offices of the Secretary to the Cabinet and the Head of the Civil Service was not entirely new to Nigeria, as a similar arrangement had existed previously.
Walson-Jack disclosed that Nigeria had completed implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2021–2025, which was extended to the first quarter of 2026, and had commenced work on a new reform framework.
“We are now on the verge of developing the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2026–2030. As we go along, we will share insights from the previous plan and how we are developing the new one,” she said.
She also expressed optimism that the growing collaboration between both countries could eventually be formalisedthrough a Memorandum of Understanding.
“We are looking forward to structuring it in such a way that we could actually have an MoU because if our relationships in other sectors have been successful, I do not see why the one concerning the civil service should not be successful,” she added.
Also speaking, the Administrator of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Mrs. Imeh Okon, described the visit as a major step towards strengthening bilateral cooperation and strategic knowledge exchange.
Okon said PSIN remained committed to building public-sector capacity through training, research, and innovation, adding that the institute would continue to support reforms aimed at addressing emerging governance challenges.
“This study tour is not a one-way presentation, but rather a robust bilateral dialogue. We are eager to learn from your unique experiences in governance and institutional development in The Gambia, just as we share our own,” she said.
She added that the visit would create opportunities for both countries to exchange ideas on human capital development and public service reforms.
