By Sarah NEGEDU
The Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory, Mariya Mahmoud, has thrown her weight behind renewed efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s civil service culture, describing knowledge, ethics and institutional memory as crucial to national development.
Mahmoud stated this on Friday during the public presentation of three books authored by Dr. Jumai Ahmadu, an acting director with the FCT Administration who has spent nearly three decades driving reforms within the FCTA.
The books, ‘The Evolution and Development of the Federal Capital Territory’, ‘When the Spirit Whispers’, and ‘Steward of the Nation: The Role of the Civil Servants in National Development’, explore Abuja’s growth, the values that underpin effective governance, and the personal convictions that shape leadership.
The minister said the publications come at a time Nigeria is seeking to deepen professionalism, accountability and ethical conduct in public institutions.
She noted that Ahmadu’s work on the development of Abuja offers essential context to the city’s policy history, while the other two books highlight the moral and administrative foundations of good governance.
She said that the books “collectively speak to our national journey, our institutional growth, and the values that sustain public service and personal purposes,” describing the work on Abuja’s evolution as “a critical documentation of Abuja’s transformation.”
Mahmoud also praised the author’s focus on civil service integrity. “Equally important is Steward of the Nation, which rightly underscores the indispensable role of civil servants in national development,” she said, encouraging Nigerians to engage the books as they align with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s governance agenda.
She therefore, “commend Dr. Jumai Ahmadu for her dedication to knowledge, public service, and nation-building. Her works will undoubtedly serve as reference materials for policymakers, scholars, civil servants, and the younger generation seeking guidance and inspiration.”
For Ahmadu, the project is a record of lived experience and institutional history. Reflecting on her 28 years in service.
She said, “What we are celebrating is not just the launch of three books, but the documentation of a journey; my personal journey, our collective journey, and the evolving story of service, faith, and nation-building.”
She said her career has reinforced one clear lesson that, “Institutions do not succeed by chance. They grow when people serve with integrity, competence, and a genuine sense of stewardship.”
On the second edition of ‘The Evolution and Development of a Federal Capital City’, Ahmadu explained that contributions from key actors strengthened its depth and authenticity.
These people, which include builders, labourers, teachers, doctors, and engineers among others were directly involved in shaping Abuja’s planning, development, and institutions, adding that their lived experiences bring history alive, not as theory, but as reality.
“This second edition basically documents the people who lived in the city; the laborers, the architect, the engineers, the teachers, the traditional rulers, and politicians.
“These people saw the city evolve from the pronouncement to where we are today. Like in the first edition, I also analysed the Minister’s policies and how far they have gone,” she said.
She described When the Spirit Whispers as her most personal work reflecting on faith, resilience, and the quiet guidance that shapes human decisions.
Ahmadu expressed hope that the books will inspire the next generation of public servants. “If these books inspire greater integrity in service, deeper understanding of governance, and renewed purpose in life’s journey, then this effort has achieved its purpose,” she said.
