The federal government through the head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, has stressed the need for civil servants to deepen their understanding of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. The government declared that the public service cannot remain detached from the realities of a sector that is critical to the nation’s economic growth, revenue generation and industrial development.
Walson-Jack made the assertion yesterday in Abuja at an oil and gas seminar jointly organised by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN).
Represented by the permanent secretary, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Patience Onyekunle, the HoSF said collaboration between government institutions and industry stakeholders remained essential for national development and effective policy implementation.
She noted that the oil and gas sector continues to play a central role in driving Nigeria’s economy and urged public servants to continuously improve their knowledge, leadership capacity and understanding of emerging trends within the energy industry.
“The public service cannot remain distant from the realities of critical sectors of the economy.
We must understand the industries we serve, the reforms we support, the regulations we administer and the national priorities we are expected to deliver,” she said.
According to her, programmes such as the seminar provide a valuable platform for exposing civil servants to industry realities while fostering stronger collaboration between government and the private sector.
She said a better-informed public service would be better positioned to formulate policies, support reforms and create an enabling environment for investment and sustainable development.
In his remarks, the managing director of Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Mr Tony Attah, represented by the company’s vice-president, Relations and Sustainable Development, Mr Igo Weli, identified energy security as one of the most pressing challenges confronting Nigeria and Africa
.Attah said reliable access to energy remained fundamental to industrialisation, economic growth and improved living standards, lamenting that millions of Africans still lacked adequate access to power.
“Energy security is key. Whether it is a barber, a salon owner or a small-scale manufacturer, access to reliable power is essential for productivity and competitiveness.
“If you consider how much businesses spend on diesel alone to generate electricity, you will understand the burden energy insecurity places on production costs,” he said.
Earlier, the administrator of PSIN, Mrs Imeh Okon, said the seminar was designed to deepen participants’ understanding of the energy sector and its contribution to national development.
She noted that ongoing reforms championed by the Head of the Civil Service increasingly emphasise collaboration beyond the public sector.
“If you notice all the reforms that have been done right now by the Head of the Civil Service, it involves collaboration beyond the public service.
“We see that there’s a lot of innovation out there, and we can’t stay as a public service doing the same thing like before.
“So, reaching out to the private sector, where things are done efficiently, we think we are also able to match their own energy to achieve what we want to achieve,” she said.
