Paperless Revolution: Nigeria hits 100% digital compliance across all federal ministries
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, has announced a historic milestone, confirming that all 31 Federal Ministries and Departments have achieved full compliance in digitalising their work processes.
Walson-Jack made this disclosure on Wednesday night in Abuja during the “Paperless Civil Service Gala and Awards Night.”
Supreme news reports that the event was organised to celebrate the successful transition from manual, paper-based operations to digital governance.
In her keynote address, the HCSF traced the evolution of the reform, noting that the journey towards paperless service was a product of successive efforts.
According to her, digitalisation is not about replacing people with machines, but about empowering people to work better, faster and smarter.
She credited her predecessors, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita and Dr Folasade Yemi-Esan, for laying the foundation through the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plans (FCSSIP 2017–2020 and 2021–2025).
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.”
She revealed that upon assuming office in August 2024, only three ministries had fully digitised.
However, through the establishment of “War Rooms” designed for rapid execution and accountability, the service entered a “final sprint” to meet the 2025 deadline.
Highlighting the tangible results of the reform, the HCSF listed several home-grown technological landmarks
She explained that over 100,828 official email accounts were created, saving government billions of naira in external licencing fees and securing official communication.
“Service-Wise GPT recorded over 25,000 interactions. It is an AI tool trained on Public Service Rules,” she said.
According to her, the Online Compendium of Circulars ended the frustrating hunt for physical documents.
She also noted the Federal Civil Service Online Academy launch, which aims to modernise staff training service online.
She emphasised that “the transition is anchored on the Nigeria First policy, ensuring that all digital solutions are locally developed to boost the economy and showcase indigenous ingenuity.
“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 expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu, noting that his “Renewed Hope” agenda provided the political will to move reforms from PowerPoint presentations to real institutional change.
She also commended the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, and the “Transformative Permanent Secretaries” who resisted the urge to revert to “Egypt”, a metaphor she used for the old, paper-dependent ways.
While acknowledging early technical glitches, the HCSF urged civil servants to remain persistent.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, described the transition to paperless civil service as a “defining milestone” in Nigeria’s journey towards modern governance.
He praised the HCSF’s leadership for aligning policy with execution and staying committed to the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 2021–2025).
Akume added that the awards sent “powerful message” that excellence within the civil service would always be recognised and rewarded.
Supreme news reports that the gala night served as platform to honour individuals and MDAs that championed digital adoption in spite of institutional resistance.
The event, sponsored by Galaxy Backbone Ltd and Crown Interactives Ltd, was attended by top government officials, including the SGF, cabinet ministers and members of the diplomatic corps.
