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Chief Jerome Udoji: Architect of Nigeria’s Modern Civil Service
A tribute to Chief Jerome Oputa Udoji, the civil servant, legal luminary, and traditional ruler who transformed Nigeria’s public administration.
Chief Jerome Oputa Udoji (1917–2010) was a distinguished Nigerian public servant, lawyer, businessman, and traditional ruler. Born on July 17, 1917, in Ozubulu, Anambra State, he would go on to become a transformative figure in Nigeria’s civil service and public administration. Widely regarded for his legal acumen, administrative foresight, and ethical leadership, Udoji’s contributions continue to shape governance in Nigeria.
Education and Early Career
Chief Udoji’s commitment to education laid the foundation for his remarkable career. He attended:
St Michael’s Catholic School, Ozubulu
St Charles Teacher’s Training Institute, Onitsha
Driven by a passion for learning, he proceeded to University of Cambridge, England (1945–1948), where he studied law and became one of the first Nigerians to graduate from this prestigious institution. He was subsequently called to the English Bar at Gray’s Inn, London.
Upon returning to Nigeria, Udoji embarked on a stellar career in public service, beginning as a third-class clerk in Western Nigeria. He steadily rose through the ranks:
Personal Assistant to the Provincial Secretary, Western Nigeria
Assistant District Officer, Ekiti Division (1948–1950)
District Officer, Egbado Division (1951–1953)
Permanent Secretary, Eastern Region Ministries of Health, Commerce, Finance, and Establishment (1955–1959)
Chief Secretary and Head of Eastern Nigeria Civil Service (1960–1966)
He briefly practiced law privately (1966–1968) and worked as a consultant for the Ford Foundation in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Udoji Award and Civil Service Reforms
The pinnacle of Chief Udoji’s career came in 1972, when General Yakubu Gowon appointed him Chairman of the Public Service Review Commission. The commission, famously known for the “Udoji Award”, undertook a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s civil service, introducing far-reaching reforms:
Salary Reforms: Recommended significant increases in civil servants’ salaries, implemented in 1974, dramatically improving spending power and morale.
Administrative Reorganisation: Advocated for a unified and integrated administrative structure, elimination of inefficiencies, and restructuring of redundant departments.
Training and Capacity Building: Introduced formal civil service training programmes to professionalize public administration.
Efficiency and Cost-Effectiveness: Emphasized accountability, elimination of waste, and streamlined governance processes.
The Udoji Award became a benchmark for modernizing public administration and enhancing civil service professionalism in Nigeria.
Business and Traditional Leadership
In addition to his civil service career, Chief Udoji was a successful businessman, engaging in consultancy and strategic advisory roles. He also held the traditional title of Igwe Ozuluoha I of Igboland, reflecting his standing and influence within his community.
Legacy
Chief Jerome Udoji passed away in 2010 at the age of 98, leaving a lasting legacy:
Recognized as a transformative civil servant whose reforms continue to influence Nigerian governance.
Remembered as a legal scholar and administrative strategist, combining Western education with deep understanding of Nigerian socio-cultural dynamics.
Honoured as a traditional ruler, bridging modern governance and indigenous leadership structures.
The Udoji Award remains a defining milestone in Nigeria’s civil service history, symbolizing the pursuit of efficiency, equity, and professionalism in public administration.
Visual Representation
The accompanying image captures Chief Jerome Oputa Udoji in the 1970s, reflecting his stature as a pioneering civil servant, lawyer, and public figure in Nigeria.
Sources
Udoji, J. O. Public Service and Administration in Nigeria (Government Press, Lagos, 1974)
Akinyele, R. Nigerian Civil Service Reforms: The Udoji Experience (University of Ibadan Press, 1990)
Ezeani, Chukwuma. Notable Nigerians in Public Service (Enugu Academic Press, 2005)
National Archives of Nigeria, Lagos & Enugu Records (1960–1975)
News
“I’ll never settle for a barber, yahoo boy or a poor man” — nail tech’s list of men she says she can’t marry sparks reactions online
A Nigerian nail technician has set social media talking after openly listing the kind of men she says she can never settle for.
In a now-viral post, she stated clearly that she refuses to “settle for less” and went on to mention professions and traits she considers a no-go area.
According to her, she can never settle for a barber, an aza man, a yahoo boy, a mechanic, an actor, a laundry man, a hype man, or a plumber. She also added that she wouldn’t marry a man with a high body count or a poor man.
The Nigeria Police Force INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB), Abuja has successfully repatriated the sum of Twenty-Three Thousand United States Dollars ($23,000) recovered from an international romance scammer to the victim in The Cayman Islands.
A statement from CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, spokesperson of the force, says the repatriation followed a request received from the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service seeking assistance of the INTERPOL NCB Abuja to investigate a Nigerian national, Achufusi Obioma Ikenna, who defrauded a resident of the Cayman Islands through an online romance scam.
‘’Acting on the request, INTERPOL NCB Abuja conducted discreet, intelligence-led investigations which led to the arrest of the suspect and the recovery of the sum of $23,000.
Following the completion of all necessary documentation and in collaboration with international partners, the recovered funds were formally handed over to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, through the British High Commission in Abuja, represented by Mr. Shaun McLeary, for secure delivery to the victim.’’
Hundeyin added that the suspect will be arraigned at the conclusion of investigation.
The Imo State Police Command, Owerri, has a new Police Commissioner in the person of Audu Garba Bosso, who replaced Aboki Danjuma, the outgoing Police Commissioner. Danjuma was recently promoted to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) and posted to Force Headquarters, Abuja.
Upon assumption of duty, CP Bosso called on sister security agencies, stakeholders, and all residents to collaborate with the police in tackling crime and social vices.
He stressed that community-based policing, intelligence-led operations, and a people-friendly approach will guide his administration, with strict adherence to the rule of law and respect for human rights.
In a brief biography made available to journalists by the Command’s spokesperson, Henry Okoye, it was revealed that CP Bosso was born on December 31, 1967, in Bosso, Niger State.
He enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force on June 10, 1994, as a Cadet ASP, Course 18/1994.
Revealing his academic history, Okoye stated that CP Bosso holds an NCE in Geography/Biology, a B.Sc.Ed in Biology, and an M.Sc in Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. He is also a member of the National Institute of Policing Studies (MNIPS).
In the course of his career, he has attended key professional courses, including PMF Mobile Training School, Citizenship and Leadership Course, Community Policing Course, TLCC, and SLCC, which have shaped his strategic and community-oriented policing philosophy.
The command’s spokesperson added that before his recent deployment to Imo State, CP Bosso served as DPO in over twenty-two divisions nationwide across Sokoto and Kwara State Commands, including Bale Gudu, Dange-Shuni, Wamako, and Kebbe Divisions in Sokoto State, as well as ‘B’ Division, Surulere, Ilorin, Kwara State Command, among others.
“He also held strategic appointments across several state commands, which include: CSP Administration, Kwara State Command; 2i/c Ilorin Metro Area Command, Kwara; 2i/c CID, Katsina State Command; AC Provost Marshal, Force Headquarters, Abuja; Area Commander, Saki, Oyo State Command; Area Commander, Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State Command; ACP Administration, Enugu State Command; Area Commander, Iyekogba, Edo State Command; Director CPTU, Police Service Commission, Jos; Director Finance & Administration, POLAC Wudil, Kano State; DCP G.I FCID Annex, Gombe State; DCP Operations, Borno State Command; and CP G.I FCID Annex, Kaduna State, before his posting to Imo State,” Okoye stated.
The new Commissioner has called on all Imo residents to actively partner with the Police and other security agencies through timely information sharing and participation in community policing initiatives, assuring the public of his commitment to protecting lives and property, maintaining peace, and fostering a people-friendly policing culture across the state.
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