Assessment of Lifelong Learning Practices Among Civil Servants in Abuja Federal Capital Territory

This study assessed the lifelong learning practices of civil servants in the Abuja Federal Capital Territory, North Central Nigeria. In an era of rapidly evolving public sector demands, the capacity of civil servants to engage in continuous professional development is critical to governance effectiveness. The study adopted a descriptive survey design involving 200 civil servants drawn from five federal ministries in Abuja. Structured questionnaires and interview guides were used for data collection. Findings indicated that most civil servants engaged in lifelong learning activities primarily through mandatory government-sponsored training programmes, occasional workshop attendance, and informal peer knowledge sharing. Self-initiated learning activities such as online courses, independent reading, and professional certification pursuits were reported by only a minority of respondents. Institutional culture, workload pressures, and limited awareness of available learning resources were identified as key barriers. Civil servants in higher-level positions demonstrated stronger lifelong learning engagement, suggesting a positive association between job seniority and learning motivation. The study found that employees whose supervisors actively encouraged professional development were significantly more likely to pursue learning activities beyond mandated programmes. Recommendations include establishing structured individual development plans for all civil servants, creating dedicated learning time within official working schedules, and developing an intranet-based repository of freely accessible professional development resources. These interventions are expected to embed lifelong learning as a professional norm within Nigeria's federal public service. Keywords: lifelong learning, civil servants, professional development, Abuja, public sector.