FG targets paperless civil service by Dec 2025, launches

By Chukwuma Umeorah

The Federal Government has set a December 31, 2025 deadline to complete the transition of Nigeria’s civil service into a fully paperless system, as part of commitment to boosting efficiency, transparency, and accountability in public administration.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, announced this in Lagos on Thursday during an interactive session with federal civil servants, where she reiterated the government’s resolve to leverage technology for improved service delivery across ministries, departments, and agencies.

Walson-Jack explained that the digital shift was a core component of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP 25), a blueprint designed to modernize the public sector through the adoption of innovative tools and practices. “By 31st December 2025, the Federal Civil Service would go paperless. In order to aid the digitalization and the transformation that is going on, we recently introduced several digital tools to help civil servants deliver better quality service,” she said.

A key element of the initiative, according to her, is the deployment of an AI-powered assistant known as ServiceWise GPT, a virtual tool developed to assist civil servants in carrying out their duties more efficiently. The system, she noted, was trained using essential governance documents such as the 1999 Constitution, the Public Service Rules, and Financial Regulations.

“Our flagship digital tool is our own AI-powered assistant called ServiceWise GPT. And this tool has been trained on the 1999 Constitution, the Public Service Rules, the Financial Regulations, and all other instruments that civil servants generally use to do their work. I dare say that the tool is becoming quite popular, not only among civil servants but also among public servants and even the private sector,” she stated.

The Head of Service stressed that the success of the paperless initiative would largely depend on the preparedness of the workforce. To this end, she disclosed that the government has launched a capacity-building programme in the form of a digital literacy webinar series, aimed at equipping civil servants with the necessary skills and mindset to adapt to a technology-driven work environment.

“A lot of digital infrastructure and capability building are required. So, only recently, I launched a digital literacy webinar series. It’s something that we’re using to reorientate civil servants and get them to have the digital mindset,” she explained.

Walson-Jack’s visit to Lagos formed part of a nationwide tour designed to engage directly with federal workers, assess the condition of government offices, and identify policy areas requiring intervention. Lagos, she noted, is the fifth state she has visited under the engagement programme. “This engagement helps me to interact with staff, know what they’re doing, understand their challenges, and generally look at issues that need to be addressed,” she said.

While commending federal workers in Lagos for their dedication despite infrastructural and logistical constraints, Walson-Jack described them as “the unsung heroes of governance, the engine room that keeps the machinery of the federal government of Nigeria running.”

She reaffirmed that the ongoing reforms, anchored on the six pillars of the FCSSIP 25, talent management, performance management, innovation, digitization, and staff welfare, would ultimately transform the civil service into a modern, efficient, and responsive institution capable of meeting the needs of Nigerians.