Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni, will on Thursday , August 27, 2026, bow out of the Nigerian public service after more than three decades of meritorious service marked by institution-building, reform and an unwavering commitment to duty. From her early days as a State Counsel in the Rivers State Civil Service and her pioneering role in building the legal architecture of Bayelsa State, to her service across critical federal ministries and, ultimately, as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Walson-Jack’s career has been defined by a rare breadth of experience and a consistent drive to leave institutions stronger than she found them. Chiemelie Ezeobi writes
After more than three decades of public service, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni, will on Thursday, August 27, 2026, retire as Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), bringing to a close one of the most extensive administrative careers in Nigeria’s contemporary public service.
Her journey to the apex of the Federal Civil Service did not begin in Abuja, nor was it defined by the titles she eventually accumulated. It began in 1992, when a young lawyer, fresh from the uncertainty of early legal practice, chose the Civil Service over a lucrative banking offer and embarked on a career that would take her from the legal drafting rooms of the newly created Bayelsa State to the highest administrative office in Nigeria.
