President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), effective August 27, 2026.
Enitan, a senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service, will succeed Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who is due to retire after attaining the statutory retirement age of 60.
The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
According to the statement, Enitan, who hails from Osun State, is currently the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education and is the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service.
He has served as a Permanent Secretary for seven years and seven months, during which he worked at the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of the Vice President.
His extensive experience across key government institutions, the Presidency said, gives him substantial knowledge of the operations and institutional framework of the Federal Civil Service.
President Tinubu charged Enitan to consolidate the reforms and innovations already underway in the Federal Civil Service while deepening professionalism, efficiency and accountability.
The President also tasked the incoming Head of Service with building a more effective and responsive civil service capable of delivering on the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Tinubu urged Enitan to promote a Civil Service that is professional, merit-driven, accountable, innovative and responsive to the needs and aspirations of Nigerians.
The President expressed appreciation to the outgoing Head of the Civil Service, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, for her service to the nation.
He specifically commended her contributions to reforms, innovations and improvements recorded in the Federal Civil Service during her tenure.
Tinubu wished Walson-Jack a fulfilling life after retirement and expressed the nation’s gratitude for her years of dedicated public service.
Who Is Abel Enitan?
Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan was born on December 12, 1966.
He had his secondary education at Ajibode Grammar School, Ibadan, and the College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife.
He subsequently attended the University of Lagos, where he obtained a B.Sc. in Finance and Banking in 1988.
In 2015, Enitan obtained a Master of Science degree in Public Policy Analysis from Nasarawa State University, Lafia.
His appointment takes effect on August 27, 2026, when he will assume responsibility as Nigeria’s Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
