President Bola Tinubu has appointed Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, as new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, which will effect as from August 14, 2024.
Mrs. Walson-Jack was appointed as Federal Permanent Secretary in 2017 and has served in several Ministries.
The new appointee will take over from the incumbent Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, CFR, who is due to retire on August 13, 2024.
A statement signed on 17th July, 2024 by Chief Ajuri Ngelale, Special Adviser to the President, said:
“President Tinubu, while thanking the outgoing Head of Service for her stewardship, tasks the incoming Head of Service to discharge her duties with innovative flair, integrity, and stringent adherence to the extant rules and regulations of the Civil Service of the Federation.”
Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack
Mrs Diiarau Didi Esther Walson-Jack was born in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos, and was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1987. She holds Certificates in Legislative Drafting from the Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Lagos, and the California State Senate, U.S.A. Mrs. Walson-Jack is a Certified Conflict Resolution and Peace Building practitioner.
After her mandatory National Service and an enterprising brief stint in private practice, she joined the Public Service as a State Counsel in the Rivers State Ministry of Justice. On the creation of Bayelsa State out of the old Rivers State in 1996, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack transferred her service to the Ministry of Justice, Bayelsa State. During her service, she was seconded to the State House of Assembly to establish and administer the Legal Department.
Her hard work earned her the enviable dual position of Solicitor-General of Bayelsa State and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice in July 2002. She held that position and made significant inputs to the State in that capacity.
In 2009, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, transferred to the Federal Civil Service and was given the position of Assistant Director. Her career with the Federal Civil Service commenced at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs where she served as pioneer State Co-ordinator of the Rivers State Office of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. She was later promoted to the post of a Deputy Director (Appointments, Promotion and Discipline) at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, Abuja.
In 2015, Mrs. Walson-Jack served in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation as Director, Special Duties in the Special Duties Office. She was later deployed as the substantive Director of Human Resource Management at the Federal Ministry of Health, and later the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. She was also, one-time Director, Special Duties, Office of the Permanent Secretary (Special Duties), in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Mrs. Walson-Jack was a key player in the development and coordination of the Launch and Pilot Phases of the Structured Mandatory Assessment-Based Training Programme (SMAT-P) and the Leadership Enhancement and Development Programme (LEAD-P) for Public Servants in 2015, as the Programmes Manager.
Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack is an alumna of the prestigious National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Plateau State, Nigeria. Her other memberships include the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association, and Full Gospel Businessmen’s Fellowship International (FGBMFI). She is a former Chairperson of The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Bayelsa State Branch, Founder and President of the Legislative Drafters Network of Nigeria (LEGISNET) and the initiator of GIFTED WOMEN a mentoring class for young ladies; she is also a member, of Commonwealth Association of Public Administration (CAPAM), and Member, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management. She served as Assistant Secretary General, Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI) (2009 – 2012). She is also an award recipient of several renowned institutes and organisations.
Mrs. Diiarau Didi Esther Walson-Jack, until her redeployment to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, was the Permanent Secretary, Service Welfare Office (SWO), Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF). She assumed duty in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs on Friday, 1 August, 2019, and was redeployed and resumed in the Federal Ministry of Power on Monday, 23 December, 2019.
