Housing Ministry saves N400m annually with paperless system

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has said it saves more than N400 million annually on stationery since it replaced paper-based operations with an Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system, Permanent Secretary, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, has disclosed.

Belgore made the disclosure in Abuja during the ministry’s commemoration of the first anniversary of the implementation and full deployment of the ECM platform, which is designed to improve efficiency, transparency, records management and service delivery.

The permanent secretary said the system, introduced in compliance with a directive from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, was fully launched on September 30, 2025, marking a major shift from the ministry’s traditional reliance on physical files.

According to him, the digital system has significantly reduced the use of paper, improved document tracking and accelerated decision-making, while also earning the ministry recognition from the Head of Service for compliance.

Belgore said the financial savings from reduced stationery consumption had been one of the immediate benefits of the transition.

He said: “The transition from paper-based operations to ECM has saved the ministry over N400 million annually on stationery.”

To facilitate the transition, he disclosed that more than 90 desktop computers, 30 laptops and multifunctional printers were distributed to staff in February 2026.

He said the impact of the system was particularly evident in the time required to process official documents.

“Turnaround time has improved sharply. A file that would normally take four to five days to move from my desk to the minister and then to finance now takes less than an hour,” he said.

Belgore also disclosed that the ECM platform had recorded no downtime, hacking or ransomware attack since its launch.

He, however, said the ministry’s priority should now move beyond adoption of the system to optimising its use through stronger compliance, continuous staff training and improved information security.

The permanent secretary also urged staff to take advantage of the Federal Civil Service’s service-wide GPT initiative, while announcing the rollout of the Performance Management System (PMS) to strengthen staff accountability.

He said the PMS would assess employees based on key result areas and performance indicators.

Earlier, the Head of the ICT Department, Dr. Amiolemen Marcus, said the ECM had provided the ministry with a structured platform for creating, managing, storing and preserving official documents.

He disclosed that about 1,200 staff at the ministry’s headquarters and state offices had been onboarded onto the platform.

Marcus said the ICT Department had also digitised 6,018 membership files and 80,454 documents, while the total records stored on the ECM database had reached 669,108.

He added that training had been conducted for staff at both the headquarters and state offices to ensure effective use of the platform.

In a statement, Director of Press and Public Relations, Badamasi Haiba, said the anniversary was commemorated with the theme, “One Year of Digital Transformation: Advancing Efficiency, Transparency and Service Delivery through ECM.”

Speaking at the event, Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, commended the ministry’s staff for their commitment to the digital transformation programme.

Ata urged workers to take full ownership of the ECM platform and make it an integral part of their daily operations.

He said the anniversary provided an opportunity to assess the ministry’s progress in transforming how it creates, manages, shares and preserves official information.

According to him, the ECM system has strengthened the ministry’s drive towards a more efficient and transparent public service by improving access to information, reducing dependence on physical documents, strengthening records management and speeding up workflows.

He said the initiative was also consistent with the Federal Government’s objective of building a modern and responsive public service under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The minister commended the ministry’s management, ICT Department, technical team, consultants and other stakeholders for their roles in implementing and embedding the system during its first year.

He stressed, however, that digital transformation was an ongoing process requiring continuous improvement and collective responsibility.

“We must continue to improve our processes, protect sensitive information, promote innovation and ensure that technology remains at the heart of effective governance and better delivery of housing and urban development programmes,” he said.

Also speaking, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr Abel Enitan, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Office of the Head of Service, Dr Danjuma Usman Kalba, described the anniversary as a celebration of institutional change.

Kalba said digital transformation was not merely about acquiring technology, but about changing the way the government works.

He said the ministry’s experience demonstrated the importance of clear direction, institutional ownership and the willingness of public servants to embrace innovation.

He stressed the need for a digital environment capable of supporting seamless government operations, adding that successful digital transformation required the collective support of ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of agencies and other public servants.

The ministry said it would continue to build on the gains recorded during the first year as it seeks to deepen the use of technology in its operations and improve service delivery.