President Bola Tinubu has named Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, OON, mni, as the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), following the retirement of the substantive Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. David Andrew Adejo, upon reaching the mandatory age from the Civil Service.
An esteemed alumna of the Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin City and the Federal Government College in Ilorin, Mrs. Walson-Jack is among the first individuals educated at Nigeria’s Unity Schools to achieve this high-ranking position within the Federal Ministry of Education (FME).
She holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Lagos and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1987. She is married to Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack, a former General Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association and Nigeria’s leading Civic Educator. They have two children, both of whom became lawyers.
First appointed as a Permanent Secretary in 2017 by then-President Buhari, Mrs. Walson-Jack has demonstrated exceptional leadership and commitment in various capacities, including her roles as Permanent Secretary in the Service Welfare Office of the Office of the Head Of Service of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, and the Federal Ministries of Power, Water Resources, and Sanitation.
In her new capacity, Mrs. Walson-Jack is expected to leverage her extensive experience and dedication to excellence in working with the country’s education ministers to elevate the standards and policies of Nigeria’s education system and deliver on President Tinubu’s education agenda.
Her appointment came at a time when the sector faced challenges and was viewed as a crucial stride toward achieving gender balance in the realm of Nigerian politics. It also exemplified President Tinubu’s commitment to fostering a governance structure of inclusiveness and competence.