Tinubu appoints Enitan as Head of Civil Service

By Adebola Muili

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, Mr Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan, as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), effective August 27, 2026.

Enitan, who hails from Osun State, will succeed Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who is due to retire from the Federal Civil Service upon attaining the statutory retirement age of 60.

The appointment was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.

According to the statement, Enitan is the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service and has served as a Permanent Secretary for seven years and seven months.

He has served at the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the Office of the Vice President, and is currently the Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education.

President Tinubu said Enitan brings “considerable institutional experience and a deep understanding of how the Federal Civil Service works” to the new responsibility.

The President charged the incoming Head of Service to consolidate the reforms and innovations already underway in the Civil Service, deepen professionalism and efficiency, and build a more effective and responsive service capable of delivering on the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

He further urged Enitan to lead a Civil Service that is professional, merit-driven, accountable, innovative and responsive to the needs and aspirations of Nigerians.

President Tinubu also expressed appreciation to the outgoing Head of Service, Mrs Walson-Jack, for her “distinguished service to the nation” and for the reforms, impact and innovations recorded in the Civil Service during her tenure.

The President wished her a fulfilling and successful life after service and conveyed the nation’s gratitude for her years of dedicated and impactful public service.

Enitan was born on December 12, 1966. He had his secondary education at Ajibode Grammar School, Ibadan, and the College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife.

He later attended the University of Lagos, where he obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance and Banking in 1988. In 2015, he obtained a Master of Science degree in Public Policy Analysis from Nasarawa State University, Lafia.