Olaopa was appointed alongside 11 others to direct the affairs of the country’s civil service with effect from November 30, 2023.
The directive is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, titled, ‘President Tinubu appoints new Federal Civil Service Commission leadership team.’
In this piece, PUNCH Online highlights 15 things to know about the new FCSC chairman:
1. Olaopa, born December 20, 1959, hails from Aáwé, Oyo State.
2. Olaopa obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science, from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State in 1984.
3. In 1987, he bagged a Master’s degree from the same course in the same institution.
4. Moving higher in his education achievements, Olaopa, in 2006, got a Doctorate degree in Public Administration from the Commonwealth Open University, United Kingdom.
5. Olaopa is a seasoned Public Administrator, Political Scientist and Author.
6. He served as the Chief Research Officer, Policy Analyst and Speech Writer at the State House, Abuja, in 1988.
7. He was also the Coordinator, Education Sector Analysis and Head, Policy Division, Office of the Minister in the Federal Ministry of Education.
8. He was the Director of Programmes, Bureau of Public Service Reforms.
9. Olaopa also held the post of the Special Assistant on Reforms to the Head of Service of Nigeria on Public Service Reforms.
10. In his professional career, Olaopa served as the Director, External Linkages and Reforms Department, Office of Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
11. The new FCSC chairman was the Director, Ministries, Departments and Agencies, Department, Bureau of Public Service Reforms.
12. Along the line, Olaopa became the Permanent Secretary of several government agencies including the Nigerian Civil Service, Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Federal Ministry of Communications Technology.
13. Following his retirement from the civil service, Olaopa established the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy in 2016.
14. In 2018, Olaopa was conferred a professorship in Public Policy at the Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State.
15. Olaopa received the National Productivity Award in 2015, and the Thabo Mbeki Award for Public Service and Scholarship in 2018.
