Vice-President Kashim Shettima will on Wednesday, October 28, open the 2026 colloquium of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS), bringing together serving and retired public service leaders to discuss governance and national development.
The event, themed “Navigating the Headwinds of Governance: Centrality of the Civil Service”, will take place at the Rotunda Conference Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja.
The colloquium is the flagship event of the two-day 2026 CORFEPS Week, scheduled for October 28 and 29.
The Chairman of the CORFEPS Planning Committee, Olusegun O. Adekunle, disclosed the development in a statement.
The immediate past Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, will present the lead paper, drawing from his experience in public administration and governance.
The paper will be reviewed by a panel comprising the immediate past Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack; retired Federal Permanent Secretary and pioneer Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Dr Habiba Lawal; and Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr MacKalba Danjuma Usman.
Senator Cyril Olawale Fasuyi, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Establishment and Public Service Matters, will preside over the session.
Discussions will centre on strengthening the civil service’s institutional permanence, impartiality, transparency, accountability, efficiency, productivity and integrity. Participants will also examine ways to improve citizen-focused service delivery amid contemporary governance challenges and preparations for another political transition.
The colloquium will also feature the unveiling of the first edition of the CORFEPS Journal, designed to encourage informed discussions on public administration, governance and national development.
According to the statement, the event is expected to attract members of the Federal Executive Council, serving and retired permanent secretaries, heads of government agencies and commissions, industry leaders, diplomats, development partners, civil servants, civil society organisations and media representatives.
The National Chairman of CORFEPS, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, will welcome participants, including prominent public service figures such as Engr. Ebele Okeke, Nigeria’s first female Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
Activities will continue on Thursday, October 29, with the Council’s Annual General Meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. at the Olusegun Obasanjo Hall, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
The programme will conclude with the CORFEPS Dinner and Awards Evening at 7 p.m. at Aso Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, Wuse Zone 4, Abuja.
Established in 2025, the CORFEPS Awards recognise individuals whose contributions have strengthened Nigeria’s civil service and advanced national development.
This year’s ceremony will honour additional founding icons of the Council and former heads of the civil service. According to the Council, the awards celebrate the achievements of past public service leaders while providing a credible and transparent framework for recognising outstanding service by serving officials.
The 2026 CORFEPS Week highlights the Council’s commitment to leveraging the institutional knowledge and experience of retired public service leaders to build a more effective, accountable and citizen-focused civil service.
