+Female Lags in the Civil Service
Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service now has a new Lead. She is Mrs. Esther Didi Walson-Jack.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administered her oath of office this Monday.
Esther Didi Walson-Jack is the 5th female Head of Service and the 3rd consecutive female after Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita (2015-2021) and Mrs Folashade Esan (2021-2024).
A gender disaggregated data of employees at the most senior cadres of Nigerian Civil Service shows how difficult it could have been for these 3 women to emerge as the head of service in Nigeria.
Only a few civil servants attain the highest level of service eligible for appointment as permanent secretaries or the head of service before retiring. Among those who reach this Director level (GL 15 – 17) as of 2019, women constitute just 32%.
The overall female representation in the federal civil service declined from 43.5% in 2018 to 42.1% in 2019.
On the other hand, women in the special grade increased to an all time high of 15% in 2019.
The career antecedents of the few women who have ascended to the position of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation reveal that they are seasoned civil servants who have undoubtedly earned their appointments through competence and extensive experience.
Female Lags in the Civil Service
The Nigerian Civil Service consists of employees in Nigerian government agencies other than the military and police. Most employees are career civil servants in the Nigerian ministries, progressing based on qualifications and seniority.
Staff of the Nigerian civil service are employed into different levels based on their academic qualifications and working experience.
The minimum entry level at the Nigerian Civil service is level 1 – 6. The most senior management level is grade level 15-17 – the highest level workers can attain while in service.
Regrettably, there is less representation of women across all 35 Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) captured by the NBS data. None of the MDA has an equal proportion of women as men.