By: Monday Munkaila, Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has urged public servants across the country to remain committed to reforms that prioritise efficiency, accountability, innovation and citizen participation.
The Governor further insisted that strong institutions remain the foundation of democratic governance and sustainable national development.
The Governor made the assertion while chairing the 2026 Nigeria Public Service Lecture Series and Awards held in Abuja to commemorate the United Nations Public Service Day.
He was represented at the event by the Gombe State Head of Civil Service, Professor Mu’azu Shehu.
He also declared that transforming Nigeria’s public institutions through innovation, merit, transparency and citizen-centred governance remains indispensable to delivering sustainable development and restoring public confidence in government.
Addressing senior government officials, policy experts, development partners and public servants from across the country, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said the quality of governance in any nation is ultimately determined by the strength, professionalism and responsiveness of its public institutions.
He observed that the demands of modern governance require a public service that is not only efficient and accountable but also innovative, inclusive and capable of responding to the changing needs of citizens.
Speaking on the theme, “Transforming Public Institutions: Advancing Innovation, Participation, and Inclusion,” the Governor said the conversation could not have come at a more critical time as governments across the country pursue reforms aimed at improving service delivery and rebuilding institutional capacity.
He commended the organizers of the lecture series for providing a national platform that encourages policy dialogue, celebrates excellence and promotes the exchange of ideas capable of strengthening public administration in Nigeria.
Drawing from Gombe State’s experience, Governor Inuwa Yahaya outlined a series of reforms implemented by his administration to reposition the state’s civil service as a strategic driver of development.
He identified the establishment of the Gombe State Bureau of Public Service Reforms as one of the administration’s most significant institutional interventions, noting that the Bureau has become the coordinating hub for policy innovation, performance management and the implementation of reform initiatives across government ministries, departments and agencies.
According to him, the administration has deliberately replaced discretion with merit by ensuring that senior civil servants rise through transparent, performance-based promotion processes that reward competence, integrity and professionalism.
He explained that the introduction of biometric staff verification and electronic attendance systems has strengthened payroll integrity, eliminated ghost workers and entrenched greater accountability in the management of public resources.
The Governor also pointed out the deployment of technology to improve governance, citing the digitization of treasury operations to enhance financial transparency, the automation of procurement processes to reduce opportunities for corruption and the implementation of the Go-Health digital platform to improve healthcare access for public servants.
He said workers’ welfare has equally remained central to the reform agenda through the provision of comprehensive health insurance coverage for civil servants, a policy designed to improve productivity while reducing the financial burden associated with healthcare.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya also pointed to the construction of a modern state secretariat complex as a long-term investment that will consolidate government offices, eliminate recurring expenditure on rented accommodation, improve coordination among ministries and create a lasting institutional asset for the state.
Recognising that reforms are only sustainable when supported by a skilled workforce, he said his administration has continued to invest in regular training and retraining programmes to prepare civil servants for emerging governance challenges and evolving technological realities.
Looking ahead, the Governor disclosed that Gombe State is set to deepen its reform agenda through a comprehensive skills-gap assessment, merit-based recruitment of specialised professionals and the development of a structured training policy that will institutionalise continuous capacity building across the public service.
He stressed that while Gombe State’s experience demonstrates what is possible through purposeful leadership, public service reform must become a shared national priority if Nigeria is to build stronger institutions capable of driving economic growth and improving citizens’ quality of life.
The Governor therefore called on state governments, federal institutions and development partners to strengthen collaboration, exchange successful reform models and scale innovative solutions that will modernise governance across the federation.
The high point of the ceremony was the presentation of Public Service Excellence Awards to the Secretary to the Gombe State Government, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, and the Director-General of the Gombe State Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Abubakar, in recognition of their contributions to institutional transformation and public sector excellence.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya congratulated the award recipients, describing the honours as well-deserved recognition of their commitment to professionalism, integrity and service.
“Let us continue to transform our public institutions so they remain engines of progress, inclusion and service to the people,” the Governor said, as contained in a statement signed by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Director-General (Press Affairs), Government House, Gombe.
Group photograph of participants at the programme
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