Olaniyi urges personnel to uphold professionalism, integrity, efficiency and accountability beyond Customer Service Week
By Chioma Vivian James | Abuja
The Ministry of Defence has honoured six outstanding personnel for their exemplary performance and commitment to quality customer service, reaffirming its drive to strengthen professionalism, accountability and efficiency in public administration.
The awards, presented on Thursday, October 8, 2026, marked the climax of the Ministry’s 2026 Customer Service Week celebration at its headquarters, Ship House, Abuja, where management emphasised the need to make excellence in service delivery a daily institutional culture rather than an annual celebration.
Presenting the awards, the Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Bosede Olaniyi, described quality service delivery as essential to the Ministry’s effectiveness, stressing that professionalism and responsiveness were critical to building a more efficient institution capable of meeting the expectations of stakeholders and the Nigerian public.
Olaniyi explained that the recognition was intended not only to reward exceptional performance but also to inspire other personnel to improve their standards, uphold professional ethics and contribute meaningfully to institutional growth.
She urged staff members to demonstrate integrity, efficiency, professionalism and accountability in the discharge of their duties, noting that every employee had a responsibility to promote a positive service culture.
“The recognition of outstanding staff is not only a reward for good performance but an encouragement for others to strive for higher standards of service in the overall interest of the nation,” she said.
The Permanent Secretary’s Office representative further stressed that customer service extended beyond interactions with members of the public, explaining that courtesy, mutual respect and professionalism should also define relationships among colleagues and departments.
According to her, a service-oriented workplace could only thrive when personnel at every level accepted responsibility for their conduct and recognised its impact on the Ministry’s overall performance.
She urged staff to treat colleagues, stakeholders and members of the public with respect and courtesy, adding that sustained improvements in service delivery required collective commitment and consistent adherence to established standards.
Earlier, the Director of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Mrs Ogidi-Paul, said the six award recipients had distinguished themselves through dedication, commitment and the demonstration of excellent customer service in their respective roles.
She described the awards as an opportunity to celebrate personnel whose conduct and performance reflected the standards the Ministry sought to promote across its operations.
Ogidi-Paul also commended Olaniyi for her leadership, encouragement and support, which she said contributed significantly to the successful organisation of the Customer Service Week celebration.
She equally acknowledged the Ministry’s management team for its participation and support throughout the programme.
The award presentation was the highlight of the closing ceremony, with six personnel recognised for their contributions to service delivery.
The recipients were Gaiya Reuben, Haruna Abdullahi, Corporal Akawu Blessing Uweng, Usman Shuaibu, Abubakar Idris and Isah Gunduma.
The beneficiaries expressed appreciation to the Ministry for recognising their efforts, while directors and other staff members witnessed the ceremony.
Beyond celebrating individual achievements, the event underscored the importance of translating recognition into measurable and sustained improvements in public service delivery.
For the Ministry of Defence, the ultimate test lies in ensuring that the values promoted during Customer Service Week—professionalism, integrity, efficiency and accountability—remain firmly embedded in its daily administrative operations long after the celebration has ended.
The Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to excellence and quality service delivery, expressing the expectation that the recognition of outstanding personnel would encourage other employees to embrace higher standards in the performance of their responsibilities.
