The Federal Government has started conducting skills gap analyses and personal audits inside the Federal Civil Service through the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF).
During the Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis (PASGA) project’s sensitization event in Abuja, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), made this statement.
According to Walson-Jack, the Federal Civil Service has struggled for years with inconsistent and out-of-date personnel data, which has resulted in inefficiencies and misalignments.
According to her, data is still essential to the Civil Service’s efficient planning, deployment, and decision-making processes.
A new standard that is transparent, data-based, and performance-oriented is being set, according to Walson-Jack, who was represented by Dr. Deborah Odoh, Permanent Secretary, Service Policies and Strategies Office (SPSO), Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), through PASGA.
In line with the changing demands of the government, the Head of the Federation’s Civil Service promised that “this reform will deliver accurate personnel records, identify existing skills gaps, and support targeted training and redeployment.”
Assuring that “The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) shall remain your primary reference point as this exercise unfolds Service-wide,” Walson-Jack tasked Knewrow Consulting, the OHCSF Cluster Consultant, with approaching the national assignment with the highest professionalism, integrity, and technical precision.
She also urged all directors, permanent secretaries, union leaders, and employees in all MDAs to show ownership and contribute fully to the Committee.
By guaranteeing that placements, promotions, and performance management are based on solid evidence and merit, PASGA is a reform tool that will influence the future of our workforce, she said.
Our willingness to create a merit-based, data-driven, and future-ready Civil Service is boldly demonstrated by this exercise.
“We can work together to establish the Nigerian Civil Service as a model for public administration that is innovative, accountable, and efficient.”
Kalba Danjuma Usman, Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, OHCSF, stated in his welcome speech that the Personnel Audit and Skill Gap Analysis (PASGA) Project is a flagship reform initiative of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF). It was created to improve skills alignment, strengthen personnel data integrity, and support evidence-based human resource decisions throughout the Federal Civil Service.
“The event was a major step forward in the ongoing process to reposition the Service as an effective, accountable, and digitally enabled institution,” Usman remarked.
The PASGA Project, he continued, is in complete accord with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2025 (FCSSIP 25), especially with regard to the reaffirmed dedication to digitization, talent management, and organizational effectiveness.
The audit, according to Mr. Ayo Murtala, OHCSF Cluster Consultant at Knewrow Consulting, is “the beginning of a transformation journey that will help reshape the Federal Civil Service into a stronger, smarter, and more sustainable institution.”
“It represents revitalization, rebirth, and the Federal Civil Service’s collective ascent into a new era of excellence and accountability,” stated Murtala.
“This Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis is not just a verification exercise — it is a strategic reform instrument for government to better understand the people who drive the public service,” he said.
“Data is important, but identity, capability, and national performance are more important than data alone.”
