Members of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Service Matters have commended the Administrator of the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Ms. Imeh Okon, for the decisive reforms and renewed institutional direction recorded within her first 100 days in office.
The commendation was given during an oversight visit by the Committee to the Institute’s headquarters along the Kubwa Expressway, Abuja, marking the Committee’s first official engagement with PSIN under Ms. Okon’s leadership.
Speaking during the visit, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Engr. Sani Umar Bala, described the engagement as significant and timely, noting that the Committee was impressed by the clarity of vision, accountability measures, and early progress achieved under the new Administrator. He congratulated Ms. Okon on her appointment and expressed the Committee’s readiness to work closely with her to strengthen the Institute’s mandate and institutional growth.
Hon. Bala recalled that during the Committee’s last oversight visit in July 2024, several recommendations were made, including the need for innovative strategies to improve Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and the enactment of a substantive Establishment Act for PSIN. He noted that the current visit provided an opportunity to assess progress made so far and commended the Administrator for placing strong emphasis on financial discipline, transparency, and compliance with constitutional and legislative provisions guiding public expenditure.
Earlier, Ms. Okon, in her remarks, welcomed the lawmakers and thanked the National Assembly for its sustained interest in strengthening public institutions. She explained that her first 100 days were deliberately focused on understanding the Institute, rebuilding internal systems, and restoring basic operational discipline rather than publicity.
According to her, staff engagement was prioritised through direct interactions, the introduction of monthly whole-of-staff forums, reinstatement of weekly departmental meetings, and simple morale-boosting initiatives aimed at rebuilding a sense of ownership and teamwork across the Institute.
On service delivery, the PSIN Administrator disclosed that the Institute had completed the final onboarding of its Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) list of accredited centres. She also revealed that over 400 public servants from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) had been trained within the period, while PSIN successfully conducted nationwide promotion examinations for over 2,600 staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across the 36 states and the FCT.
From left Deputy Chairman, House of Representatives Community on Public Service Matters, Rep. Akintola George;
Administrator/CEO, Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN), Ms Imeh Okon and the Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Sani Bala, during the Committee’s oversight visit to PSIN headquarters in Abuja.
Ms. Okon further highlighted measures taken to restore financial discipline, including strengthened financial controls, audits of facilities and assets, recovery of outstanding revenues, and strict alignment of expenditures with Federal Government regulations. She noted that these steps were critical to rebuilding institutional credibility and value-for-money culture.
The Administrator also briefed the Committee on infrastructural improvements carried out within the period, including rehabilitation of lecture rooms and toilets, completion of abandoned facilities, fumigation of the entire compound, and installation of a central sewage system for major training centres, steps she described as essential to restoring the dignity of a federal training institution.
Looking ahead, Ms. Okon outlined plans to modernise PSIN’s curriculum, expand e-learning and blended learning platforms, digitise registration and certification processes, and strengthen performance management systems. She also revealed plans to reposition PSIN as a policy think tank and global centre of excellence through policy dialogues, strategic partnerships, and a proposed twinning arrangement with the Singapore Public Service Institute.
In his closing remarks, Hon. Bala praised the Administrator for the depth of reforms and the strategic direction presented, assuring her of the Committee’s support through legislation, policy guidance, and informed advocacy. He reiterated that the House Committee views oversight as a constructive partnership aimed at strengthening public service institutions in the national interest.
The visit concluded with the presentation of PSIN’s 2024 budget performance, as the Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting reforms that enhance professionalism, accountability, and efficiency in Nigeria’s public service.
