Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan was sworn in on Thursday as Nigeria’s new Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, taking over from Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who retired earlier this year upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60.
The ceremony, held at the State House in Abuja, formally began Enitan’s tenure as the country’s Chief Administrative Officer.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had named him to the post on August 19, 2026, selecting the most senior Permanent Secretary in government for the role.
Walson-Jack attended the event alongside her husband, Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack. Also present were Enitan’s wife, Olawunmi Ololade Enitan, and the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Peter Fashedemi.
The Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement disclosed that President Tinubu congratulated the incoming Head of Service and charged him to uphold professionalism, integrity, accountability, and efficiency across the civil service.
Born on December 12, 1966, in Osun State, Enitan holds a Bachelor’s degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos and a Master’s in Public Policy Analysis from Nasarawa State University, Keffi.
He entered the Federal Civil Service in 1998 as a Senior Operations Officer with the now-defunct Family Economic Advancement Programme. His career later took him to the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, then to the Office of the Vice President, where he rose from Chief Administrative Officer to Director between 2010 and 2018.
Enitan was appointed Permanent Secretary in December 2018, first serving at the Federal Civil Service Commission before postings to the Ministries of Environment, Police Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and Education — a run that culminated in his elevation to Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
