The 2026 Landscape: Trends in Public Service Across Africa
2026 is shaping up to be a pivotal year for public service reform across the continent, influenced by digitalisation, leadership capacity, and institutional adaptability. Here are some of the trends we are watching closely as the year unfolds.
Public sector transformation in Africa in 2026 is being shaped by several interconnected trends.
Digital readiness is non-negotiable.
Across governments, digital systems are now central to service delivery. In 2025, the Nigerian Federal Civil Service rolled out mandatory digitalisation across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) with many MDAs nearing full digitalisation, including the Federal Ministry of Justice, whose digitalisation journey we supported.
However, 2026 is revealing a growing gap between technology adoption and the human capabilities needed to fully unlock its value. Public servants must not only use digital tools, but also adapt workflows, manage data responsibly, and redesign services around citizen needs.
Multidimensional skills are increasingly essential.
Reforms rarely fail due to a lack of vision; they falter when there is insufficient capacity to manage complexity. In 2025, we expanded training across areas such as policy development, project management, strategic communication, and change management leadership. In 2026, progress will depend on agility across these interconnected skill sets.Leadership ecosystems drive sustained change.
While individual leaders matter, collective leadership networks matter more. Our alumni community continues to implement reform projects that cascade learning to peers and teams. This ripple effect where capable public servants empower others is proving critical to sustaining reform across institutions.
These trends reinforce one another. Effective digital adoption depends on capable leaders; capable leaders rely on practical skills; and skills applied across networks drive system-wide change.
As we look to 2026 and beyond, these insights are shaping how we design programmes, build partnerships, and measure impact. We remain committed to supporting African public servants and institutions to lead with vision, adaptability, and integrity.