Federal ministries achieve full digital compliance, ushering in paperless civil operations
File: The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack.
The Federal Government has declared that all 31 federal ministries and departments have achieved full compliance with digital operations, marking the completion of the transition to a paperless civil service.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said this on Wednesday night in Abuja at the Paperless Civil Service Gala and Awards Night.
She said the development marked a major milestone in public service reform, moving government operations from manual, paper-based processes to digital governance.
Tracing the evolution of the reform, Walson-Jack said the paperless drive was the result of sustained efforts by successive administrations, noting that digitalisation was aimed at improving efficiency rather than replacing workers.
She said, “Digitalisation, which for many years sounded like a good idea we would get to ‘one day,’ has finally arrived.
“I am delighted that we can now speak about it not as a concept, but as reality.”
The HCSF credited her predecessors, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita and Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, for laying the groundwork through the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plans for 2017–2020 and 2021–2025.
According to her, when she assumed office in August 2024, only three ministries were fully digitised. She said the establishment of special “war rooms” to ensure speed and accountability helped the service meet the 2025 deadline.
Walson-Jack said the reforms had delivered measurable results, including the creation of over 100,828 official government email accounts, which she noted had saved the country billions of naira in licensing fees.
She added that Service-Wise GPT, an artificial intelligence tool trained on public service rules, had recorded more than 25,000 interactions, while the Online Compendium of Circulars had eliminated the need for physical document searches.
The HCSF also announced the launch of the Federal Civil Service Online Academy to modernise staff training.
She said the transition was guided by the Nigeria First policy, with all digital solutions developed locally to support the economy and showcase indigenous capacity.
She said, “This is a defining moment. Countries that fail to go digital with their Public Services are not merely slow; they are uncompetitive and increasingly irrelevant
“Nigeria is now setting a bold example for African public services.”
Walson-Jack thanked President Bola Tinubu for providing the political backing under his Renewed Hope agenda, as well as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, and permanent secretaries for sustaining the reforms.
In his remarks, Akume described the paperless transition as a defining milestone in Nigeria’s move towards modern governance, praising the leadership of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service for aligning policy with execution.
He said the awards presented at the event underscored the government’s commitment to recognising excellence within the civil service.
The event, sponsored by Galaxy Backbone Limited and Crown Interactives Limited, was attended by senior government officials, cabinet ministers and members of the diplomatic corps.
NAN
