Commissioner Charges Civil Servants to Become ‘Civic Innovators’

L- R: Facilitator, Mr. Ayodele Oluwole, Honourable Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Mr Afolabi Ayantayo and Director of Training, Mrs Modupe Animashaun at the training programme with the theme, 'Leveraging Talent Development for Next Public Service' organized by the Ministry of Establishments and Training held at NECA house, Ikeja.

By Kayode Olopade 

The Honourable Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Mr. Afolabi Ayantayo, has reiterated the Lagos State Government’s commitment to building a dynamic, values-driven, and future-ready public service. He made this known today at the opening of a training programme themed “Leveraging Talent Development for the Next Public Service,” held in Alausa, Ikeja.

Describing the initiative as a strategically important intervention, the Commissioner emphasized the need for civil servants to evolve from routine administrative roles into forward-thinking problem-solvers and civic innovators.

“In a world where the pace of change is accelerating, our public institutions must no longer be content with maintaining the status quo. The next public service must be innovative, adaptive, and values-driven,” he said.

According to Mr. Ayantayo, the public workforce is the backbone of government effectiveness, and as such, talent must not only be recruited but continually nurtured, upskilled, and aligned with the strategic development goals of the state.

“It is no longer enough to recruit talent; we must nurture it, upskill it, and align it with the strategic goals of a public service that is focused on citizens’ wellbeing,” he stated, adding that the programme represents a deliberate investment in capacity building, performance management, and continuous learning.

While commending the facilitators and resource persons for bringing their expertise to bear, the Honourable Commissioner urged participants to embrace the opportunity to redefine their roles in the evolving landscape of governance.

“You are not just Civil Servants. You are Civic Innovators, the engine room of government,” he charged. “The future of government rests on talented, trained, and transformed Civil Servants, which you will eventually become after this programme.”

The training is one of several initiatives under the Ministry’s drive to reposition the Lagos State Public Service in alignment with the THEMES+ agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. Over 100 participants of different cadres drawn from different ministries, Departments and Agencies were involved in the training.