Nigeria’s federal civil service has fully transitioned to digital operations, with all 31 federal ministries, departments, and agencies achieving 100 per cent compliance with paperless work processes, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, announced on Wednesday night in Abuja.
The milestone, aimed at improving efficiency, accountability, and service delivery, was completed through coordinated execution measures designed to meet the Federal Government’s 2025 digitalisation deadline.
Mrs. Walson-Jack made the disclosure at the Paperless Civil Service Gala and Awards Night, where she described the achievement as one of the most significant workforce and governance reforms in the history of Nigeria’s public service. She said the shift from paper-based systems to digital platforms would fundamentally transform how civil servants work, communicate, and are trained across the federation.
In her keynote address, the HCSF explained that the paperless reform was the culmination of sustained efforts by successive administrations. She emphasised that digitalisation was not intended to replace workers with technology, but to equip them with tools to work faster, smarter, and more effectively.
According to her, the groundwork for the reform was laid by her predecessors, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita and Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, through the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plans (FCSSIP) for 2017–2020 and 2021–2025.
“Digitalisation, which for many years sounded like a good idea we would get to ‘one day,’ has finally arrived,” Mrs. Walson-Jack said.
“We can now speak about it not as a concept, but as a reality.”
She revealed that when she assumed office in August 2024, only three ministries were fully digitised. She said the civil service subsequently entered what she described as a “final sprint,” establishing accountability-driven war rooms to fast-track implementation and meet the target timeline.
Highlighting key outcomes of the reform, Mrs. Walson-Jack disclosed that more than 100,828 official email accounts had been created for civil servants. She said this development had saved the government billions of naira in foreign software licensing costs while securing official communication channels within the public service.
She added that Service-Wise GPT, an artificial intelligence tool trained on the Public Service Rules, had recorded more than 25,000 interactions, while the Online Compendium of Circulars had eliminated the need for time-consuming physical document searches. She also announced the launch of the Federal Civil Service Online Academy, designed to modernise staff training through digital learning platforms.
The HCSF stressed that the transition was guided by the Nigeria First policy, ensuring that all digital solutions deployed were locally developed to strengthen the economy and promote indigenous innovation.
“This is a defining moment. Countries that fail to digitise their public services are not just slow; they are uncompetitive and increasingly irrelevant,” she said, adding that Nigeria was now setting a benchmark for public service reform across Africa.
Mrs. Walson-Jack commended President Bola Tinubu, noting that his Renewed Hope agenda provided the political backing required to translate reform plans into concrete institutional change. She also praised the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, as well as permanent secretaries, for sustaining the momentum of the reform and resisting a return to paper-based systems.
While acknowledging early technical challenges, she urged civil servants to remain committed as the new digital systems continue to stabilise.
Also speaking at the event, Senator Akume described the paperless transition as a “defining milestone” in Nigeria’s journey towards modern governance. He said the reform demonstrated strong alignment between policy formulation and execution under the FCSSIP 2021–2025.
The SGF added that the awards presented at the gala sent a clear message that excellence, innovation, and dedication within the civil service would continue to be recognised and rewarded.
