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By Stella Odueme
Dr. Nwaeze Offor Afam, an Assistant Director in the Macro Analysis Department of the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning (FMBEP), has emerged the overall best staff at the Ministry’s 2026 Ministerial Award Ceremony.
Nwaeze was recognised for his outstanding performance, excellence and commitment to public service, emerging as the overall best staff after scoring 98 per cent in the assessment conducted by the Service Wide Award Selection Committee.
The Minister of State for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr. Doris Uzoka-Anite, said the ministerial awards provided an opportunity to recognise officers who had distinguished themselves through innovation, performance, leadership, commitment to duty, courage, inclusiveness and exemplary service.
According to a statement Director, Information and Public Relations, Julie Osagie-Jacobs, on Wednesday, the Minister said the awards reflected the Ministry’s commitment to recognising diligence, integrity and excellence in the discharge of official responsibilities.
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Deborah Odoh, said staff welfare remained one of the pillars of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2021–2025, which seeks to transform the public service into a productive, world-class and digitalised institution.
She said the recognition of outstanding staff was therefore important in motivating personnel and promoting excellence in the civil service.
The Director of Human Resource Management, Dr. Esther Olatunji, said Nwaeze emerged winner after a rigorous selection process conducted by the Ministerial Awards Committee.
According to her, the selection process was guided by fairness, transparency, objectivity, consistency and merit, with consideration given to patriotic commitment, productivity, integrity, efficiency, dedication, adherence to core values, creativity and innovation, as well as punctuality and regularity.
Congratulating Nwaeze on the recognition, Olatunji said the award was both an honour and a responsibility to maintain the standards that earned him the distinction.
“Your recognition is both an honour and a responsibility to sustain the standards that earned you this distinction,” she said.