By Kwin Israel, The Sight News
The Ministry of Interior has charged its workforce to go the extra mile in delivering quality and citizen-centred services, stressing the need for professionalism, empathy, innovation and accountability in public service.
The charge was made as the Ministry joined organisations around the world to commemorate the 2026 Customer Service Week, themed “Going Extra Mile.”
The celebration held in Abuja, provided an opportunity for the Ministry to reaffirm its commitment to improving service delivery and strengthening public confidence in government institutions.
Speaking at the event, the representative of the Permanent Secretary and Director of Human Resources Management, Catherine Zozi, said excellent customer service goes beyond simply responding to requests, but requires professionalism, courtesy, empathy, integrity and a genuine sense of responsibility.
She urged staff to listen to feedback, respond promptly to complaints, improve internal processes and embrace innovative approaches that enhance service delivery.
Also speaking, the Deputy Director, Joint Services, Bello Adogarh, said the theme, “Going Extra Mile,” reflects the responsibility of public servants to do more than the routine discharge of their official duties. He noted that every interaction with citizens provides an opportunity to strengthen confidence in government, adding that customer service should be embedded in the Ministry’s institutional culture rather than treated as an annual activity.
The celebration also highlighted that every staff member is a service provider, whether dealing directly with members of the public or providing services to colleagues within the Ministry.
Staff were therefore encouraged to embrace the principles of SERVICOM, explore innovations from the Ministry’s Innovation Hub and continually ask themselves: “What more can I do to improve the service?”
The Ministry reaffirmed that effective service delivery is a collective responsibility and urged its workforce to demonstrate responsiveness, courtesy, accountability and innovation in every service encounter.
