President Bola Tinubu has appointed Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan as the new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, with effect from 27 August 2026.
Enitan, an indigene of Osun State who currently serves as Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, succeeds Didi Esther Walson-Jack upon her reaching the statutory retirement age of 60.
Confirming the appointment in an official statement on Wednesday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga highlighted Enitan’s administrative credentials.
“Mr Enitan, from Osun State, is the most senior Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service,” Onanuga stated. “He brings considerable institutional experience and a deep understanding of how the Federal Civil Service works to his new responsibility.”
Enitan’s career as Permanent Secretary spans seven years and seven months, with prior deployments across the Ministry of Police Affairs, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the Vice President.
Born on 12 December 1966, Enitan completed his secondary education at Ajibode Grammar School, Ibadan, and the College of Arts and Science, Ile-Ife. He subsequently graduated from the University of Lagos in 1988 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and Banking, later acquiring a Master of Science in Public Policy Analysis from Nasarawa State University, Lafia, in 2015.
President Tinubu charged Enitan to consolidate ongoing administrative reforms, deepen workplace professionalism, and foster an effective institution capable of delivering the administration’s agenda. He urged Enitan to cultivate a civil service that remains “professional, merit-driven, accountable, innovative, and responsive to Nigerians’ needs and aspirations.”
Concurrently, the President expressed national gratitude to outgoing Head of Service Walson-Jack for her contributions and the administrative innovations introduced during her tenure, wishing her “a fulfilling and successful life after service.”
Enitan will formally assume leadership of the civil service following Walson-Jack’s retirement on 27 August.