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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Federal Government has commenced the implementation of its digital transformation agenda for the Federal Civil Service, inaugurating an 11-member Technical Working Committee to develop a framework for the initiative.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, inaugurated the committee on Friday following the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the Federal Civil Service Digital Transformation Progress Report.
The initiative is expected to move the government’s digital transformation programme from policy formulation to implementation, with the aim of establishing a coordinated digital ecosystem across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Walson-Jack charged the committee to develop a Digital Transformation Implementation Framework and Roadmap for the expansion, adoption and sustainability of digitalisation across the Service.
She said the framework should address policy, governance, institutional coordination, interoperability, cybersecurity, financing, digital readiness, capacity development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
According to her, the reform must eliminate fragmented digital initiatives across government institutions and establish systems that allow government platforms to communicate, information to flow securely and administrative processes to be simplified.
“The time has come for the Federal Civil Service to move beyond isolated and fragmented digital initiatives and establish a coherent, Government-wide digital ecosystem,” she said.
The Head of Service, however, cautioned that technology alone would not guarantee the success of the reform, stressing that the people, processes and institutional culture of the Civil Service must evolve alongside digital systems.
She said public servants would require adequate training and support to adopt and effectively deploy digital tools in their duties.
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Walson-Jack said the initiative was aligned with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan and the broader objective of building a professional, world-class and digitally enabled public service capable of supporting national development and delivering on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Responding on behalf of the committee, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nadungu Gagare, described the assignment as strategic and timely.
Gagare assured the Head of Service that members would deploy their expertise and work with relevant government institutions and stakeholders to produce a practical and sustainable framework responsive to the realities of the Nigerian Civil Service.
The committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Deborah Odoh, has the Director, ICT Service-Wide, Alex Gwaske, as Secretary.
Other members are the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties, Federal Ministry of Finance, Mohammed Danjuma; Gagare; Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Danjuma Kalba; Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi; and Director-General, Bureau of Public Procurement, Adebowale Adedokun.
Also on the committee are Joy Baderin, Director overseeing the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office; Uwem Ekpo, Director, ICT, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation; Gideon Adogbo, Senior Technical Adviser to the Head of the Civil Service; Uyiosa Ebuehi, Technical Assistant to the Head of Service; and Gwaske.
The ICT Service-Wide Department of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation will serve as the committee’s secretariat.
The committee is expected to submit its first report to the Head of Service within one week.
The report will form the basis for constituting a Steering Committee, to be chaired by Walson-Jack, which will provide strategic oversight for implementation of the digital transformation agenda.
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service said the initiative was intended to deploy technology as a strategic tool for improving efficiency, strengthening accountability and delivering better outcomes for civil servants and Nigerians.
