By Matthew Otabe
The Chairman of the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu, has charged Directors and Heads of Departments (HODs) to uphold accountability, professionalism and commitment in the discharge of their responsibilities to ensure effective implementation of the Commission’s Performance Management System (PMS).
Dr. Shehu gave the charge on Thursday, November 5, 2026, during the signing of performance contracts by Directors and Heads of Departments at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
He described the exercise as more than the signing of official documents, noting that it represented a covenant of accountability and a commitment to achieving the Commission’s strategic objectives through improved productivity and measurable results.
The RMAFC Chairman said the initiative was also in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises institutional efficiency, good governance and improved service delivery.
According to him, the Performance Management System represents a deliberate shift from routine administrative practices to a result-oriented approach that measures individual and institutional performance against clearly defined objectives.
He disclosed that the Commission had made significant progress towards implementing the system through the development of a dedicated Information Technology platform, staff training, capacity building for PMS champions, management sensitisation and change management initiatives.
Dr. Shehu stressed that the system was not intended to punish officers but to empower them, clarify responsibilities, identify capacity gaps and promote fairness in performance assessment.
He therefore urged Directors and HODs to ensure that departmental targets and key performance indicators were realistic, measurable, time-bound and consistent with the Commission’s strategic objectives.
While assuring staff of management’s commitment to providing the necessary support and conducive working environment, he called on all officers to embrace accountability, professionalism and improved service delivery as guiding principles.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Personnel Matters Committee (PMC) and Federal Commissioner representing Cross River State, Ntufam Eyo-Nsa Whitley, described staff as the driving force behind the Commission’s success.
He urged officers to demonstrate discipline, diligence, emotional intelligence and dedication to their duties, stressing the need for them to take the performance management exercise seriously.
Whitley also encouraged staff to support one another, embrace the reform process and shun attitudes capable of undermining teamwork and institutional development.
He specifically charged the PMS champions to demonstrate commitment and provide the necessary guidance to their colleagues, noting that collective responsibility and discipline were essential to the successful implementation of the initiative.
In his welcome address, the Secretary to the Commission, Comrade Tosin Adeyanju, described the signing ceremony as a significant milestone in RMAFC’s institutional development.
He said the exercise marked a transition from intention to action, planning to execution, and traditional performance evaluation to a modern, data-driven performance management system.
Adeyanju commended the Chairman’s leadership and the support of Commissioners, while acknowledging the critical roles of Directors and Heads of Departments in driving the reform.
He urged management staff to take ownership of their performance agreements through regular engagement, feedback and monitoring, stressing that the success of the system would be determined by its ability to translate agreed targets into improved productivity, efficiency and measurable institutional achievements.
Earlier, the Director overseeing the Administration and Human Resource Department, Alhaji Ahmed Rufai Gidado, said the Commission had undertaken several activities towards the implementation of the PMS.
He explained that the signing of performance contracts represented a major milestone, signalling the transition from preparatory activities to the actual implementation phase.
In a lecture titled “The Role of Performance Management in Public Sector Transformation,” the Head of Economy Team Performance Management at the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), Mr. Nwachukwu John, commended RMAFC for the progress recorded in adopting the PMS framework.
He said the Commission’s commitment demonstrated its readiness to embrace public service reforms and align individual responsibilities with institutional and national development objectives.
John explained that the system was designed to link the responsibilities of individual officers with departmental targets, the Commission’s strategic plan and the Federal Government’s priorities.
He urged Directors and HODs to ensure that performance contracts were cascaded to other levels of staff through regular engagement and feedback, emphasising that the PMS was a productivity tool rather than a promotion exercise.
Similarly, the PMS Consultant with Reliefline Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ohiro Emmanuel, who delivered a lecture on “Overview of the PMS Implementation Journey,” described the signing of performance contracts by Directors as a major milestone in the implementation process.
He noted that the Commission had conducted staff training, developed a dedicated PMS Information Technology platform and trained performance management champions to facilitate the initiative.
Emmanuel explained that the next phase would involve cascading performance contracts across departments, with Directors engaging their Deputy Directors and Assistant Directors, who would subsequently work with other officers to ensure that individual responsibilities aligned with departmental targets.
He urged the Commission to sustain the momentum and advance the cascading process to achieve full implementation of the system.
In his closing remarks, the Director of Reliefline Nigeria Limited, Mr. Francis Ikuyinminu, appreciated the RMAFC leadership for its commitment and collaboration towards developing the performance management framework.
He also acknowledged the support of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation and other partners, reaffirming his company’s commitment to providing technical advisory services, capacity building and change management support for effective implementation.
Ikuyinminu urged all stakeholders to sustain the partnership and collective commitment towards building a legacy of institutional excellence.
