By Joy Onu
The Federal Ministry of Interior has intensified efforts to promote innovation across its agencies, describing it as a practical tool for improving efficiency, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness in government operations.
Speaking at a training programme on innovation organised by the ministry for its agencies, the Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Gloria-Vera C. Azoro, said innovation remains central to driving meaningful reforms in the public sector.
Azoro explained that innovation involves improving existing processes or introducing new ideas capable of transforming service delivery within government institutions. According to her, adopting innovative approaches would help public institutions respond more effectively to emerging administrative and operational challenges.
The training programme, she said, forms part of ongoing reforms aimed at strengthening service delivery across agencies under the ministry.
Azoro noted that the initiative was designed to equip officers with the mindset and practical skills needed to rethink how government work is carried out, stressing that innovation requires both critical thinking and openness to new approaches.
She commended the participation of all six agencies under the ministry and expressed appreciation to the Permanent Secretary for approving the training programme.
To sustain innovation within the system, the director urged agencies yet to establish Innovation Units to do so and to create Innovation Committees with representatives from all departments. She said such structures would help embed a culture of innovation within institutions and encourage wider participation among staff.
Azoro also advised participants to carry their management along in reform initiatives and introduce regular innovation-driven activities, including quarterly challenges aimed at generating practical solutions to institutional problems.
She further encouraged participants to take full advantage of the training sessions, which feature presentations from experienced reformers and innovators, by actively engaging and applying the lessons learned in their respective agencies.
The ministry reaffirmed its commitment to building a more responsive and efficient public service through sustained reforms and innovation-driven initiatives.
Earlier, John Magbadelo, a former Director of Civil Service Transformation at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, delivered a paper titled “Prospects and Challenges of Innovation in Nigeria’s Public Service.”
Magbadelo noted that the Nigerian Federal Public Service has, over the years, demonstrated responsiveness to operational transformation, particularly the transition from analogue systems to the digitalisation of work processes.
He added that the ongoing digital revolution within the federal civil service, which began in 2016, has gradually extended to various levels of Nigeria’s public service structure.
In another keynote presentation, Henry Nwaedo of the Service Innovation Department at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation spoke on “Driving Public Sector Transformation: The Strategic Role of Innovation Divisions in Ministries and MDAs.”
Nwaedo emphasised that improved governance and service delivery can be achieved by fostering a strong culture of innovation, supporting policy reforms, and ensuring the effective implementation of new ideas across ministries, departments, and agencies.
