The Federal Ministry of Interior has stepped up its push for innovation-driven governance as the Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, called for the rapid transformation of staff-developed ideas into practical solutions that can also attract commercial value.
The Minister made the appeal in Abuja during the inaugural Innovation Challenge Award Ceremony and the Joint Union Council (JUC) Week, where staff, management, and union representatives gathered to highlight emerging ideas aimed at improving service delivery across the Ministry and its agencies.
Building on the momentum of the event, Tunji-Ojo stressed that innovation within the public service must go beyond presentation stages and be deliberately pushed into implementation, noting that only workable ideas that solve real problems can contribute meaningfully to national development.
He further argued that government institutions must begin to consider investment pathways for viable innovations, adding that such an approach would not only improve efficiency but could also open new economic opportunities within the public sector.
In the same vein, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Magdalene Ajani, explained that the innovation platform was created to encourage staff to develop practical solutions capable of strengthening institutional performance, even as the Ministry continues to navigate funding constraints.
She also maintained that despite financial limitations affecting capital projects, the Ministry had remained committed to staff welfare, pointing out that entitlements for both serving and retired officers had been paid alongside other allowances meant to support workforce stability.
Meanwhile, labour representation at the event, led by the Chairman of the Joint Union Council, Elabor Mohammed, commended the management for what he described as consistent attention to workers’ welfare, citing improvements in transport services, clinic facilities, and staff welfare infrastructure.
He added that the cordial relationship between unions and management had helped sustain industrial peace within the Ministry, while also encouraging continued collaboration in driving reforms.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, outstanding participants in the innovation competition were recognised and rewarded, alongside presentations of an award for excellence to the Minister and key officials, including the Permanent Secretary.
The event closed with renewed emphasis on creativity, teamwork, and institutional reform, aligning with the broader reform direction of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda, as stakeholders expressed optimism about a more innovative public service going forward.
