The World Public Service Day should serve as a reminder of our collective responsibility to make excellence in governance the rule,not an exception write AMIR BEN YAHMED,HICHAM EL HABTI,AIGBOJE AIG-IMOUKHUEDE,ABDULLAH ALMUSAIBEEH AND BENEDICT O. ORAMAH
A few days ago, on June 23, the United Nations marked the World Public Service Day. Here in Africa, this day should stand out as far more than a ceremonial event. It is a vital opportunity for us to look ahead at the future of our public servants—women and men who, often with limited resources and in the face of significant temptations, are entrusted with safeguarding the efficiency and continuity of our states. In 2025, celebrating the African public service rings hollow unless we finally equip it with the decision-making authority, technological tools, and ethical foundations it needs to fulfill its essential role: guiding 1.4 billion citizens toward lasting prosperity.
Despite nearly two decades of robust, almost uninterrupted growth since the turn of the millennium, Africa suffers more than any other continent from a chronic shortage of public services—a deficit that severely undermines economic development and quality of life for its people. Behind this sobering reality lies a technical challenge: the quality of our public policies has failed to keep pace with the rapid social and demographic changes we face. In fact, we have fallen far behind other regions in the Global South. Countries with similar GDPs have managed to achieve remarkable transformations over the same period.