Who Is Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Newly Appointed Head of Service of The Federation?

President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of Didi Esther Walson-Jack as the head of the civil service (HoS) of the federation.

Ajuri Ngelale, the presidential spokesperson, announced in a statement on Wednesday that Walson-Jack’s appointment will take effect on August 14.

The outgoing HoS, Folasade Yemi-Esan, is set to retire from the civil service on August 13, 2024.

Who is Didi Esther Walson-Jack?

Didi Esther Walson-Jack holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Lagos and was called to the bar in 1987. Prior to joining the federal civil service, she served as the solicitor-general of Bayelsa and the permanent secretary of the state ministry of justice.

In 2017, she was appointed as a permanent secretary by former President Muhammadu Buhari and was deployed to the office of the head of the civil service of the federation. She has since served as permanent secretary in the ministries of Niger Delta affairs, power, water resources and sanitation, and education.

In 2023, Walson-Jack was conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON). She attended the Federal Government Girls’ College in Benin City, Edo state, and the Federal Government College in Ilorin, Kwara state. Walson-Jack is married to Nimi Walson-Jack, a former general secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).