By Mariam Abeeb
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE), Mr Ayodeji Ariyo Gbeleyi, has urged public servants to go beyond routine compliance and embrace responsible reforms that respond to citizens’ needs and improve service delivery.
Gbeleyi made the call on Tuesday in Abuja at the 2026 SERVICOM Day/Symposium organised as part of the BPE SERVICOM Week, with the theme, “Going the Extra Mile: Reforming Responsibly.”
He said reforms in the public sector should not be driven by the desire for change alone, but must address real challenges, protect the public interest, promote prudent use of resources and strengthen accountability.
According to him, going the extra mile requires public servants to listen to citizens, simplify processes, anticipate legitimate needs, communicate effectively, respond promptly to complaints and take ownership of outcomes.
Gbeleyi said the BPE would continue to strengthen its service delivery by providing reliable information, simplifying requirements, deploying technology responsibly, eliminating unnecessary bottlenecks and ensuring fairness and due process.
He urged staff to treat complaints and feedback from citizens as opportunities to identify weaknesses in government processes and improve service standards.
The BPE DG also cautioned that seemingly minor lapses, such as delayed responses, unclear procedures and discourteous treatment of citizens, could undermine public confidence in government institutions.
Speaking at the event, governance and public service reform expert and former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dr Joe Abah, said concerns over poor service delivery were among the factors that led to the establishment of SERVICOM.
Abah stressed that the principles of SERVICOM should extend beyond the relationship between government institutions and citizens to include the quality of services public servants provide to one another.
Also speaking, the Assistant Director, SERVICOM, Nurudeen Oyerinde, who represented the National Coordinator of SERVICOM, urged BPE staff to make the theme of the event a personal commitment by demonstrating courtesy, providing timely assistance and taking responsibility for resolving citizens’ concerns.
He said sustained improvement in service delivery would help strengthen public trust and boost citizens’ confidence in government institutions.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
