Sanwo-Olu urges civil servants to drive innovation, excellence
By Adeola Ogunrinde
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has charged participants of the Public Service Accelerator Programme, Cohort 2, to return to their offices and drive innovation, excellence and improved service delivery.
Sanwo-Olu gave the charge on Wednesday at the graduation ceremony of the second cohort of the programme, organised by the state Ministry of Establishments and Training.
He said the programme was designed to build a critical mass of highly skilled, motivated and innovative public officers capable of transforming the Lagos State Public Service.
The governor said the state government had continued to invest in workforce development because human capital remained critical to achieving sustainable development and building responsive public institutions.
Sanwo-Olu, who recalled his experience as a commissioner more than two decades ago, said deliberate investment in capacity development had demonstrated that developing people could strengthen public institutions and improve their responsiveness to citizens.
According to him, the Public Service Accelerator Programme is part of the administration’s broader effort to professionalise the public service and develop a workforce capable of operating at global standards.
“The greatest thing to do is service. It is not only about being better than your colleagues, but about improving the process and developing the institution for the people,” he said, urging the 100 participants to see their graduation as the beginning of greater responsibility.
Similarly, the Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Afolabi Ayantayo, said the programme demonstrated the administration’s commitment to developing a new generation of public servants equipped to meet emerging challenges, while the Head of Service, Bode Agoro, said it was designed to identify high-potential officers and develop them into a pool of talent capable of providing innovative solutions to public service challenges.
