Gambia seeks lessons from Nigeria’s civil service reforms 

The Gambian government has expressed readiness to adopt aspects of Nigeria’s civil service reforms as part of efforts to strengthen governance, improve policy implementation and enhance service delivery in the country.

Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Civil Service of The Gambia, Mr Alieu Njie, stated this during a strategic study visit by a Gambian civil service delegation to Nigeria in Abuja.

Njie said the visit was aimed at understudying Nigeria’s civil service transformation initiatives and identifying reforms that could be adapted to improve public administration in The Gambia.

He described Nigeria as a model for African countries and a “big brother” whose experiences in public sector governance offered valuable lessons for the continent.

According to him, The Gambia and Nigeria share similar colonial histories and institutional structures, making Nigeria’s reform journey particularly relevant to ongoing efforts to modernise the Gambian civil service.

“We are here to learn from your experiences and take back lessons that will help us improve governance and service delivery in our country,” he said.

The Gambian civil service chief noted that his country had already embarked on reforms in pension administration, policy management, human resource development and public service restructuring.

He added that the merger of the Office of the Secretary to the Cabinet and the Head of the Civil Service in The Gambia had strengthened coordination between policy formulation and implementation.

According to him, the arrangement has improved the monitoring of cabinet decisions and enhanced the effectiveness of public service delivery.

He further revealed that about 70 per cent of Gambian civil servants received their university education in Nigeria, while Nigerian professionals continue to play important roles in sectors such as education, health, defence and the judiciary in The Gambia.

The Administrator of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Mrs Imeh Okon, described the visit as a significant step toward deepening bilateral cooperation and institutional learning between both countries.

She said the institute remained committed to strengthening public sector capacity through training, research and innovation, adding that the study tour would serve as a platform for mutual exchange of ideas on governance, public sector reforms and human capacity development.

“This study tour is not a one-way presentation, but rather a robust bilateral dialogue. We are eager to learn from your unique experiences in governance and institutional development in The Gambia, just as we share our own,” Okon said.

The study visit, which runs from June 20 to June 24, is expected to deepen cooperation between Nigeria and The Gambia through peer learning, knowledge exchange and the sharing of reform experiences.