Olaopa advocates reforms in political leadership recruitment to drive development
The Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, has called for reforms in the recruitment of political leaders to promote development in Nigeria and across Africa.
Olaopa made the call on Monday while delivering a lecture to participants of SEC 48, 2026, at the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State.
He criticised the current system of political leadership recruitment, describing it as flawed and dominated by godfatherism and “sit-tight” tendencies, with little regard for competence and merit.
According to him, such practices have continued to undermine governance and development across the continent.
Olaopa said meaningful development would remain elusive unless issues surrounding leadership selection, succession and development are properly addressed.
“Real development in Nigeria and other African countries is unlikely to happen unless the leadership selection, succession and development questions facing them are fully resolved,” he said.
He also highlighted the absence of effective mentoring in Nigeria’s leadership pipeline, stressing that it has weakened the preparation of individuals for public service and policymaking roles.
He proposed strengthening internal democracy within political parties, promoting merit-based candidate selection, expanding leadership training and mentoring, improving voter education, and reinforcing anti-corruption and judicial processes to ensure credible elections and effective governance.
