By Mohammed Mohammed
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, has been awarded Fellow and Matron of the Chartered Institute of Loan and Risk Management of Nigeria (CILRMN).
The President/ Chairman, Governing Council of the Charttered Institute of of Loans and Risk Management of Nigeria (CILRMN), Dr. Nkechi Harriet Akubuiro presented the award to her during a courtesy visit with members of the Council, on Thursday in Abuja.
According to her, the inability of the country to mitigate risk has been a great challenge hindering national development.
This she added, has compelled the Institute to work on this area in other to bridge the gap. She insisted that Nigeria needs risk managers, especially from the Civil Service and, as Service of the Federation (OHCSF), to join the institute in order to achieve our national aspirations and goals.
The Institute reckoned with Yemi-Esan as a risk averter having managed and mitigated risks in her capacity as Permanent Secretary in various Federal Ministries and, most especially, under her leadership as the Head of the Civil Service, she introduced risk management mechanisms to improve its operational environment.
In this regard, the OHCSF engaged in risk mapping and risk mitigation to facilitate the implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plans (FCSSIP20 and 25), which included the following:
The successful development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the 26 Departments in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and subsequent commencement of the process service-wide to assist Officers understand and document their businesses.
The introduction of International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) certification in the Federal Civil Service and the implementation and deployment of Enterprise Content Management solutions, aimed at digitizing records and automating workflow in the Nigerian Public Service, amongst others.
The Head of Service, in her response, appreciated the gesture of the Institute for finding her worthy of such a prestigious award. She thanked the Institute for the good work they are doing in helping the Service grow, while urging them for more collaboration in repositioning the Service.
Yemi-Esan, attended the prestigious University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where she graduated as the best Bachelor of Dental Surgery student, in 1987. She also holds Masters Degree in Public Administration as well as International Relations, both with distinctions, from the Universities of Ilorin and Lagos, respectively.
She started her public service career at the Federal Ministry of Health, where she rose to become a Director. She also served in different positions including the Coordinator of Oral Health in Schools’ Programme, Liason Officer of the West Africa Health Organisation (WAHO), amongst many others.
Following her appointment as acting Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and subsequent confirmation by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, Yemi-Esan’s service to the nation has been characterised by remarkable and unprecedented strides, in tendem with the Federal Government’s commitment to the welfare and development of its workforce, a precursor to the attainment of a “New Civil Service.”
Present at the Investiture Ceremony were the Permanent Secretaries, Federal Ministry of Health, Alh. Mamuda Mamman, Common Services Office-OHCSF, Alh. Ibrahim Yusufu, Service Welfare Office-OHCSF, Dr. Ngozi Onwudiwe, Career Management Office -OHCSF, Dr. Marcus Ogunbiyi, Service Policies and Strategies Office, Mr. Okokon Ekanem Udo, the Executive Secretary, Federal Government Staff Housing Loans Board (FGSHLB) Alh. Ibrahim Mairiga and the Director/S.A.-HoS, Mr. Bayo Odejimi.