Head of Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan, describes rewards and recognition as a driver for increased productivity in the Federal Civil Service.
She stated this at the 2023 Civil Service Week Award and Gala Night in Abuja.
Mrs Yemi-Esan asserts that it is inherent in every human being to want to be rewarded and recognised for their efforts, which motivates them to go above and beyond.
According to her, the Civil Service’s Reward and Recognition Scheme was implemented in accordance with international best practices and as one of the Six Pillars of the Civil Service strategy and execution plan.
She further listed the five categories of the Recognition and Reward Awards.
” Presidential Distinguished Public Service Career Award; Presidential Civil Service Merit Award; Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Commendation Award; The Public Service Excellence Award, the Sports Achievement Award.”
The Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office in the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mahmud Kambari enumerated the objectives of the Rewards and Recognition Scheme.
“Establishing a comprehensive and robust rewards system that will improve productivity, as well as attract, nurture, develop and retain outstanding officers in the Civil Service; serving as a motivational tool to bring out the best from all MDAs; enhancing personal development for career progression and embedding a performance-driven reward system that will serve as an enabler for all other strands of effective people’s management, in an integrated fashion.”
He further informed the August gathering that the Officer with the highest score will be awarded the Presidential Distinguished Pubic Service Career Award. The second-best Awardee will receive the Presidential Public Service Merit Award, while the third-best awardee will receive the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Commendation Award.
He further noted that the fourth category of Awards, which is the Public Service Excellence Award, will be given to the remaining 29 awardees.
The nominee with the most medals was considered for the Sports Achievements Award.
The Permanent Secretary, on the other hand, expressed his concern with the late submission of entries from various Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, which resulted in the rejection of such entries and the disqualification of the candidates.
As a result, Mr Kambari advised all MDAs to submit names of intended participants within the time frame specified.
Mrs. Yemi-Esan has meantime urged government employees to intentionally praise God on behalf of the nation’s Federal Civil Service.
She made this statement during a Thanksgiving Service that was held as a part of the celebration of Nigeria’s 2023 Civil Service Week.
She said that considering the previous state of the service, all civil servants should be grateful to God for the profound change that has occurred.