The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, has urged newly appointed Chief Executive Officers, board chairmen and members of federal agencies to uphold accountability, transparency and effective leadership in the discharge of their duties.
Arabi spoke on Wednesday in Abuja during an induction training programme organised by the Bureau in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
He said the programme was part of efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen governance, improve institutional effectiveness and promote accountability across ministries, departments and agencies.
According to him, the induction programme, which started in 2018 and is now in its 11th edition, was designed to equip public sector leaders with knowledge on governance processes, financial regulations, procurement, ethical conduct and performance management.
Arabi said the training aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially the goal of building stronger and more responsive public institutions.
“As CEOs and board members entrusted with strategic leadership roles in institutions that deliver critical services to Nigerians, your decisions and performance directly influence citizens’ trust in government,” Arabi said.
He added, “The success of public institutions depends largely on the quality of leadership provided by those entrusted with managing them.”
Arabi further stated that the programme was aimed at helping participants better understand governance frameworks, financial regulations, procurement principles and the relationship between boards and management.
“Leadership should not be measured by visibility, but by impact, value for money and excellence in service delivery,” he said.
The BPSR DG urged participants to uphold integrity, professionalism and transparency in the management of public institutions.
Also speaking, the Executive Director of the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Umar Yakubu, said public officials must prioritise integrity and accountability in governance.
“Public integrity is the consistent alignment of institutional actions with the public interest,” Yakubu said.
He added, “Accountability mechanisms and data-driven systems are essential for sustaining public confidence in public institutions.”
Yakubu noted that increasing public scrutiny of governance processes makes transparency and ethical leadership indispensable in the management of public institutions.
He also highlighted initiatives developed in collaboration with the BPSR, including the Transparency and Integrity Index and the Aletheia Procurement Integrity Portal aimed at improving compliance and reducing procurement risks in public institutions.