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Chibuzor Emejor
The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has officially launched the Inclusive Network for Supporting Progressive Leadership, Innovation, Reform and Equity for Women, known as “INSPIRE,” at the International Civil Service Conference 2026 in Abuja.
The programme is designed to strengthen workplace participation and efficiency for women across all levels of the Federal Civil Service, from junior officers to executive positions.
Speaking at the launch on Thursday, Senator Oluremi Tinubu said INSPIRE reflects the kind of Civil Service Nigeria must build—one that supports its workforce, rewards competence, promotes fairness, encourages innovation, and advances equity and excellence.
“Leadership development should not begin only when a woman becomes a Permanent Secretary. It must begin early.
“A young officer who is properly mentored today may become the Permanent Secretary, Head of Service, Minister or a national leader tomorrow,” she said.
The First Lady linked the initiative to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, stating that empowering women strengthens institutions, improves governance, and enhances service delivery for citizens.
She urged women in the Civil Service to strive for excellence, embrace innovation and digital skills, and support one another, while calling on men in the Service to partner in building workplaces that promote fairness and equal opportunity.
Senator Tinubu commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, for the vision behind INSPIRE, and acknowledged the support of UN Women and other partners promoting inclusion and better governance.
She stated that the success of INSPIRE would be measured by its long-term impact and urged stakeholders to make it a living network of mentorship, learning, collaboration, and leadership.
Speaking at the launch, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, described the INSPIRE programme as a strategic platform designed to remove structural barriers limiting women’s advancement in public service and to promote inclusive leadership across all levels of government.
INSPIRE is an acronym for the Inclusive Network for Supporting Progressive Leadership, Innovation, Reform and Equity for women in the federal civil service.
According to the Head of the Civil Service, the programme would focus on building institutional capacity, strengthening professional confidence, and creating structured opportunities for mentorship and leadership development.
She explained that the initiative is designed to address long-standing challenges such as limited access to mentorship, weak sponsorship networks, and institutional constraints that have affected the career progression of women in the civil service.
“The programme will provide a structured framework for career development, peer mentoring, leadership training, policy engagement, and performance-based evaluation.
“It is also expected to connect women across different cadres of the civil service into a sustained professional network,” she said.
Walson-Jack stressed that reform efforts must be inclusive to achieve meaningful results, noting that institutional effectiveness depends on the full participation of both men and women in governance and policy implementation.
She also highlighted that the INSPIRE Network will support continuous engagement beyond conferences and workshops, ensuring that mentorship and capacity building are sustained within the system rather than treated as one-off interventions.
The Head of Service said the initiative aligns with Nigeria’s broader public service reform agenda, which prioritises efficiency, accountability, and results-driven governance under the Renewed Hope framework.
