The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Mr. Dasuki I. Arabi, has charged newly appointed Chief Executive Officers, Governing Board Chairmen and members of federal parastatals, agencies and commissions to embrace accountability, transparency and result-oriented leadership in the discharge of their responsibilities.
Arabi gave the charge on Wednesday in Abuja during the induction training programme for CEOs, chairmen and board members of federal agencies organised by the Bureau in partnership with Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Speaking at the opening of the programme, the BPSR DG said the induction was part of deliberate efforts by the Federal Government to strengthen good governance, institutional effectiveness and public sector accountability across ministries, departments and agencies.
According to him, the programme, which began in 2018 and has now reached its 11th edition, has evolved into a structured and outcome-driven leadership reform platform aimed at improving service delivery and restoring citizens’ confidence in public institutions.
He noted that the training aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the objective of building strong and responsive public institutions capable of delivering efficient services to Nigerians.
Mr. Arabi stressed that public officials occupying strategic leadership positions must understand that their conduct, decisions and performance directly influence public trust and the credibility of government institutions.
“As CEOs and board members entrusted with strategic leadership roles in institutions that deliver critical services to Nigerians, your decisions and performance directly influence citizens’ trust in government,” he said.
He explained that the induction programme was designed to deepen participants’ understanding of governance frameworks, financial regulations, procurement principles, ethical conduct, performance accountability and the relationship between boards and management.
The BPSR boss further urged participants to uphold transparency, integrity and professionalism, noting that leadership should be measured not by visibility but by impact, value for money and excellence in service delivery.
He also commended the support of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung for its continued partnership with the Bureau in promoting governance reforms and institutional strengthening in Nigeria.
Also speaking at the programme, the Executive Director of the Center for Fiscal Transparency and Public Integrity, Umar Yakubu, urged the newly appointed agency heads to uphold public integrity as the cornerstone of effective governance.
Yakubu described the appointees as custodians of public trust, stressing that the effectiveness of public institutions depends not only on technical competence but also on ethical leadership and transparency.
According to him, increasing public scrutiny of governance processes makes accountability and integrity indispensable in the management of public institutions.
“Public integrity is the consistent alignment of institutional actions with the public interest,” he said, adding that accountability mechanisms and data-driven systems are essential for sustaining public confidence.
He highlighted the longstanding collaboration between CeFTPI and the BPSR in strengthening governance standards and institutional accountability across public institutions.
Yakubu cited several initiatives developed through the partnership, including the Transparency and Integrity Index (TII), which assesses over 500 public institutions on compliance with transparency standards, as well as the Aletheia Procurement Integrity Portal, an Artificial Intelligence-driven platform designed to identify procurement risks and improve ethical compliance.
He also referenced the Transparency and Corruption Risk Assessment (TACRA), which seeks to identify loopholes within public institutions and prevent the misuse of public resources.
The CeFTPI Executive Director encouraged participants to utilise the governance tools and frameworks provided through the partnership to ensure accountability and institutional excellence within their respective agencies, expressing confidence that the induction programme would further strengthen public sector reforms and improve governance outcomes across the country.
Similarly, the Resident Representative of Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Nigeria, Moritz Sprenker, said corruption and weak transparency structures remain major obstacles to effective governance and institutional credibility.
“Corruption is authority plus monopoly minus transparency,” he said, while stressing that patronage systems, informal influence and entrenched accountability gaps continue to weaken institutions and distort decision-making processes in the public sector.
Sprenker noted that unresolved conflicts between boards and management, weak compliance mechanisms and poor accountability culture have continued to undermine institutional performance across many public institutions.
According to him, beyond establishing governance frameworks and regulations, the real challenge lies in effective implementation and professional conduct within institutions.
“What really matters is how they are applied in practice, whether conflicts are avoided or constructively addressed, whether accountability is seen as a burden or simply as part of a professional responsibility,” he stated.
He expressed optimism that the induction programme would equip participants with practical governance tools needed to strengthen institutional transparency, improve oversight functions and promote efficient public service delivery in Nigeria.
Aliyu Umar
Head, Strategic Communications (BPSR)
21 May, 2026.
