As part of activities marking the celebration of the 2026 Customer Service Week themed “The Extra Mile,” the Ag. National Coordinator of SERVICOM, Mrs. Helen Lawal, has commended the management and staff of the SERVICOM Office, Presidency, for their steadfast support, dedication, and proactiveness in the discharge of their official duties.
Addressing staff during the in-house sensitisation session on 12th October, 2026 Mrs. Lawal noted that the accomplishments recorded by the Office in championing Service Charters, conducting SERVICOM Index evaluations, managing public complaints, and driving citizen-focused service across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) were direct results of collective commitment.
Re-emphasising the core mandate of the Office to ensure effective and efficient service delivery across the public sector, the Ag. National Coordinator charged officers to shun working in silos. She stressed the imperativeness of strong coordination, inter-departmental synergy, and collaboration across all units, noting that “true service excellence begins internally.”
She stated that “Going the extra mile” for SERVICOM Headquarters means strengthening monitoring processes, leveraging technology for faster complaints resolution, and providing hands-on support to MDAs. She urged staff to sustain the values beyond the celebration week, ensuring that prompt, transparent, and dignified service remained the benchmark for the Nigerian public service.
In a related development, Mrs. Lawal had earlier joined the management and staff of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to celebrate the global event.
Mrs. Lawal commended NIMASA for its vital role in fulfilling its core mandates, ranging from maritime safety administration and maritime security to shipping development, seafarers’ welfare, and marine environment protection, which remained critical to trade facilitation and national economic growth.
Aligning the 2026 theme, “The Extra Mile,” with the agency’s statutory responsibilities, Mrs. Lawal noted that going the extra mile for NIMASA translates into moving from mere compliance to proactive service delivery. She highlighted promptness in vessel registration and certification, professionalism during maritime distress response, empathy toward seafarers, and transparency in port operations as essential indicators of customer-centric regulation.
Furthermore, she reiterated the imperativeness of working in tight coordination and collaboration across all departments and units rather than operating in silos, noting that internal alignment was crucial for a seamless stakeholder experience and a thriving Nigerian maritime space.
In his welcome address, Director Abuja Zonal Office, Mr. Umar Buba-Dazo themed “The Extra Mile: Focusing on Intentional High-Quality Services, emphasised that exceeding standard regulatory and administrative requirements was a deliberate, conscious choice. Serving as a vital link between corporate headquarters and regional stakeholders, the zone called on all staff to practice active listening, swift responsiveness, and absolute integrity, while thanking stakeholders for their ongoing feedback and partnership in driving maritime service excellence.
In her speech delivered at the occasion under the theme “We Go the Extra Mile” the Deputy Director and Head of NIMASA SERVICOM Mrs. Aisha Askira emphasized that public service and service delivery were the shared responsibility of every staff member, urging all personnel to look beyond routine duties, treat every external and internal stakeholder with dignity, respect, and responsiveness, and embrace accountability and continuous improvement to build greater confidence in the agency.
Management of NIMASA appreciated the SERVICOM leadership for the visit and ongoing guidance, renewing their pledge to deepen service excellence and accountability across all operational touchpoints.
She urged staff of both SERVICOM and NIMASA to sustain the values of professionalism, accountability, responsiveness and integrity beyond the Week, stating that “Customer Service Week may be a one-week activity, but our commitment to excellent service must continue every day, in every Unit and in every interaction.”
Highpoint of the two events was the recognition and award presentation to staff ranging from security, cleaners, drivers to officers, training on The Timeline Factor: Keeping Promises to the Citizen by Head of Operations, Mrs. Ngozi Akinbodewa and Steps to Handling an Angry and Difficult Customer by Team Lead, Team C Mrs. Kikelomo Aina as well as village meeting among others.
Aderemi Ajibola Adelabu, anipr
Public Awareness Manager
SERVICOM Office, Presidency
Abuja, Nigeria
12th October, 2026
