FG says the federal civil service has gone paperless, saving billions, curbing corruption and improving service delivery nationwide

The Federal Government has declared a breakthrough in public sector reform, announcing that Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service has transitioned from paper-based operations to digital work processes.

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The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, made the declaration on Thursday in Abuja at the Paperless Civil Service Gala and Awards Night.

Mrs Walson-Jack described the shift as a defining moment in the reform history of the Service.

She said digitalisation had moved from concept to reality, positioning Nigeria’s civil service to compete with global public administrations focused on speed, transparency and citizen trust.

“Countries that fail to digitise their public services are not just slow; they are increasingly irrelevant,” she said. “Digitalisation is here, and it is working.”

Mrs Walson-Jack said reforms accelerated under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, with all ministries achieving full compliance by going live on the Enterprise Content Management System.

She said one major outcome was the rollout of GOVMail, Nigeria’s secure government email platform, now hosting more than 100,000 official accounts.

According to her, the platform has strengthened data sovereignty and saved government huge costs previously spent on foreign email licences.

She added that the Service has deployed additional digital tools, including a service-wide GPT trained on the Constitution, Public Service Rules and official circulars, which has recorded over 25,000 user interactions.

An online compendium of federal circulars, she said, has also ended years of confusion caused by missing or conflicting directives across ministries.

Mrs Walson-Jack noted that core management systems are being modernised, with performance management now automated in most ministries and personnel audits digitising workforce data for evidence-based decisions.

Tracing the reform journey, she said the paperless drive began in 2017 and gained momentum after a 2020 directive following COVID-19 disruptions.

She revealed that when she assumed office in August 2024, only three ministries were fully digitised, prompting the creation of reform “War Rooms” to enforce accountability.

“These were not rooms for speeches, but for execution,” she said.

She stressed that the reforms align with the Nigeria First Policy by prioritising locally developed digital solutions.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the transition marked a cultural and institutional shift, not just a technological upgrade.

He said the reform reflects efficiency, transparency and accountability, and aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

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The event also recognised ministries and individuals who drove the digital transition, signalling that innovation within the civil service will be rewarded.