The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, has called for stronger collaboration between serving and retired Permanent Secretaries to strengthen Nigeria's public service, preserve institutional memory and enhance the country's diplomatic capacity.
The minister made the call while receiving a delegation of the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries (CORFEPS) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja. The delegation was led by the Council's Second Vice Chairman, Mr. Akin Arikawe.
Welcoming the delegation in a statement on Thursday, Ambassador Enikanolaiye expressed appreciation to members of the Council for their goodwill messages and prayers following his appointment as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.
He paid special tribute to Ambassador Bulus Lolo and Mr. Arikawe for the support they gave him during his tenure as Permanent Secretary, describing their guidance and encouragement as instrumental to his success.
"I remain grateful for your support and mentorship during my time as Permanent Secretary. Your guidance contributed immensely to my success, and I look forward to sustaining this relationship as we work together for the advancement of the Foreign Service and the nation," he said.
The minister reaffirmed his commitment to the Council, promising to remain an active member while strengthening cooperation between the Ministry and retired Permanent Secretaries.
He disclosed plans to complete the documentation of retired Permanent Secretaries and institutionalise regular in-house training and capacity-building programmes that would leverage the knowledge, experience and institutional memory of retired senior public servants to mentor younger Foreign Service officers.
According to him, the experience of retired public servants remains an invaluable resource for leadership development, sound policy formulation and institutional strengthening.
Ambassador Enikanolaiye also advocated a review of Nigeria's national development framework, arguing that demography should become a central pillar of development planning.
"We must place demography at the heart of our national development agenda. Nigeria's growing population should be transformed into a strategic asset capable of driving sustainable economic growth, national development and global competitiveness," he said.
The minister further stressed that continuous professional development should be a defining feature of the Foreign Service, insisting that training and capacity-building programmes must be directly linked to career progression.
He urged members of CORFEPS to remain actively involved in mentoring younger public servants and contributing their wealth of experience to ongoing institutional reforms.
"The knowledge and expertise of retired Permanent Secretaries remain indispensable. Their contributions will continue to shape policy, strengthen institutions and support the delivery of Nigeria's foreign policy objectives," he added.
The meeting ended with both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Council of Retired Federal Permanent Secretaries reaffirming their commitment to deepening collaboration in support of institutional reforms, capacity development and the continued strengthening of Nigeria's Foreign Service.