The Acting National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of SERVICOM, Presidency, Mrs. Helen Lawal, on Monday 5th October, 2026, flagged off and joined the celebration of the 2026 International Customer Service Week at four key Federal Government Agencies – the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) and the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD). The week-long global celebration, which is held annually during the first full week of October, is being marked this year from 5th – 9th October, 2026 with the theme: “GOING THE EXTRA MILE”.
In her keynote addresses delivered at the respective Agencies, Mrs. Lawal said she was “highly honoured and most delighted to be part of the year 2026 Customer Service Week celebration.” She described the celebration as “an important reminder of the value of going a little bit further for every customer and also to remind teams that service excellence is built on consistent small acts that exceed expectation.” According to her, the theme “reminds us that every extra mile taken by staff strengthens the bond between organisations and the customers they serve” and brings to the fore the commitment of the leadership of the various Agencies towards citizen-focused service delivery.
Explaining the symbolism of the 2026 theme, Mrs. Lawal noted that it is illustrated in Royal Blue, White, Dark Gray/Black and Bright Orange with a classic road sign logo which symbolises direction, commitment and journey of surpassing expectations. “Royal Blue represents Trust, professionalism, dependability and authority. Bright Orange means energy, enthusiasm, appreciation and human connection. It represents frontline staff, passion, celebration and also highlights the fact that service is about ‘people serving people’. White symbolises clarity, honesty and customer focus, while Dark Gray/Black stands for strength, excellence and commitment,” she said. She stressed that the Customer Service Week logo gives the week a distinctive and recognisable image and that it is a time to celebrate hard work, reward staff who consistently exceed expectations, deepen customer engagement and encourage innovation in service delivery.
Mrs. Lawal commended the innovative platforms deployed by some of the agencies, including “the Bank’s Service Suite Platform, an automated system for tracking, managing, and ensuring timely and efficient service delivery” at the CBN, and “the PTAD ‘I Am Alive Confirmation’ Online Verification Platform that makes verification seamless for pensioners.”
Defining what Going the Extra Mile entails, she said it means “anticipating customer needs instead of waiting for complaints, providing additional guidance to help customers complete processes smoothly, showing empathy and patience, especially to vulnerable customers, taking ownership of issues until they are fully resolved, collaborating across Departments to remove bottlenecks, offering timely follow-up, improving service processes through innovation and demonstrating professionalism even under pressure.” She added that the theme aligns directly with SERVICOM’s mandate of service excellence, integrity, accountability, efficiency and commitment, noting that “It is more than a slogan — it is a strategic call to action for MDAs to elevate service delivery across Nigeria’s public sector.”
At the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mrs. Lawal appreciated the Governor, Management and SERVICOM Unit of the Bank for organising the celebration, stating that it marked “a critical step to sustain citizen focused service delivery in the Bank.”
In his welcome remark, the Ag. Director, Special Duties, Dr. Ishiaku Polycarp, charged staff of the bank “to take ownership of activities and processes of the bank operations, removing avoidable delays, communicating honestly and showing empathy for the customer.” He revealed that the week was loaded with activities designed to deepen understanding of service excellence. His message was amplified by the Director, Risk Management Department, Dr. Blaise Ijebor, who in his opening address, before declaring the week opened, said the week was “more than mere celebration” and should be examined in terms of “how we serve the customers and stakeholders, how staff supports one another and how faithfully we deliver on the commitment in our service charter to ensure that we go beyond resolving issues to removing their causes in service delivery.”
At the National Universities Commission (NUC), while welcoming guests, the Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, said the theme “Going the Extra Mile” was both prompt and significant. “It reminds us that excellent service is not merely about doing what is needed, it is about demonstrating a genuine commitment to exceeding expectations, responding promptly to the needs of our stakeholders, and creating positive experiences through every interaction,” Prof. Ribadu highlighted. He noted that customer service in the public sector was fundamentally about responsiveness, professionalism, courtesy, accessibility, transparency and accountability, adding that “every stakeholder who approaches the Commission deserves to be treated with respect and professionalism” and that “the citizen is not regarded as an interruption to our work, but as the reason our work exists.” He stressed that “every member of staff is a customer service officer.”
At the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), the celebration was held alongside the official launch of the NAICOM Service Charter, which was unveiled by Mrs. Lawal. She noted that the Charter marked a step towards service improvement and that its implementation would determine how well NAICOM serves insurers, reinsurers, MDAs, policyholders and beneficiaries.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Insurance and CEO of NAICOM, Mr. Olusegun Ayo Omosehin, maintained that “insurance is a promise given to customers and stakeholders and customer service is how the promise is kept.” He noted the week’s theme was a reminder that excellent service required more than meeting expectation, calling for “speed, professionalism, responsiveness, empathy and a genuine commitment to serving stakeholders.”
At the Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Mrs. Lawal commended the Directorate for its customer-centric innovations, particularly its dedicated Call Centre for customer support. She urged PTAD to continue to show empathy to pensioners who are vulnerable customers, by offering priority assistance and taking ownership of their complaints until fully resolved.
In all the agencies visited, Mrs. Lawal reiterated that the 2026 Customer Service Week presented an opportunity for MDAs to reaffirm commitment to service excellence by celebrating frontline staff, engaging customers and strengthening internal collaboration, to build a culture where exceptional service becomes a standard practice. She called on all MDAs across the country to actively participate in the week-long activities.
Aderemi Ajibola Adelabu
Public Awareness Manager
SERVICOM Presidency
5th October, 2026
