By Violet Osatohanmwen Obamwonyi
As part of efforts towards enhancing leadership capacity within the Edo State Civil and Public Service, the Director General (DG) of the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), Mrs. Gina Otamere, has recommended a holistic approach of having a harmonious public service, with the optimum contribution by all age strata.
Towards such end, JOOPSA has organised a two-day workshop tagged “Talent Management: Effectively Leading Millennials and Gen Z – Building a Future Ready Public Service.” The training, which held 15th and 16th May, 2025, in Benin City, brought together 250 participants from Salary Grade Levels 13 to 17 of the Edo State Public Service.
In her remarks, the DG of JOOPSA described the workshop as “Training for the trainers,” aimed at equipping managerial staff with the tools to effectively lead a younger, evolving workforce and address generational gaps. She noted that many managers in the public service have faced persistent challenges working with younger generations, particularly Millennials and Gen Z; describing it as a gap that has long been overlooked.
Mrs. Otamere explained that the objective of the workshop was to encourage managers to adopt a more adaptive approach to engaging younger employees and involving them meaningfully in governance. She emphasized the generational differences in the Service and the perspectives of the younger workforce, and prescribed the appropriate leadership and communication styles suitable for each generation. She asserted that learning how to work optimally together among age strata without friction will improve the retention rate which has litigated the Service in recent times.
According to Mrs. Otamere, “Talent management involves learning how to coach, mentor the young workforce, including them in the business of government and that is why we targeted the managerial level staff. We believe at the end of the training, managers in Edo State will be better for it. With a workshop like this, our leaders would learn better how to manage our young workforce, how to maximize their talents optimally. With this we would have a high performing workforce which is not only tech-savvy but also rule-adherent, dedicated and empowered to deliver for the Edo State Government.”
The Lead Facilitator, Stella Obialor, commended the Edo State Government and the Management of JOOPSA for prioritising learning and development in the Public sector. She appreciated the enthusiasm, active engagement and willingness of the participants to address the generational gaps inherent in the Service, saying, “This is a beautiful initiative, very commendable because oftentimes, when we talk about learning and development, we sometimes want to limit it to what happens in the private sector. Big kudos to the Edo State Government. JOOPSA DG, she is doing an amazing job.”
Harping on the need for inclusiveness in the Service, Obialor advised managers to mentor and coach new entrants to ensure smooth knowledge transfer; stressing the importance of improved communication. She advocated for comprehensive onboarding processes to clearly outline policies, roles, rules, and career progression paths in the Service.
Obialor recommended that corrections and reviews be done with utmost professionalism and not through violent approaches that could lead to bullying or resignations, which create gaps in the system. She expressed confidence in the success of the initiative, stating, “If they follow diligently the implementation of these solutions, the Service will be better for it because it is not possible to do something differently and get the same results.”
A participant and Director of Shared Services of the Edo State Library Board, Mrs. Emiha Ayeni, emphasised the importance of nurturing and communicating effectively with younger staff. She said, “We need to carry them along because I believe if we nurture them properly, the Service will be better. I have learnt today that communication should be done with love.”
Similarly, the Protocol Officer in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Agboola Afekhuai O., lauded the inculcation of innovative thinking from the younger generation into the Service, saying, “There really are some differences posed by this but I believe if we harness their ideas, ways of thinking and apply them appropriately, it will benefit the Service.”
Nosayaba Asemota of the Edo State Development and Building Agency, while calling for more inclusiveness of the younger workforce in policy design, noted, “We should include the young workforce especially when we are designing policies because they will take over the Service.”
Ehigiator Omosigho Beauty of the Edo Specialist Hospital acknowledged the potential of Gen Z but stressed the need for orientation. “The Gen Z are hyperactive, vocal and very challenging but we can learn what they know as they learn what we know. They also need to know that the Civil Service Rules are very important,” she said.
The event featured a breakout session where participants brainstormed on solutions to identified generational challenges and several presentations. The highpoint was the vote of thanks on behalf of the participants as delivered by the Deputy Registrar of the Edo State College of Nursing Sciences, Mrs. Brenda Olohighe Ezekiel.
