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From Idu Jude, Abuja
The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Didi Esther Walson-Jack, have jointly commended the federal government’s digital transformation policy for all economic sectors.
They agreed that the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) is key to eliminating bottlenecks that hamper the ease of doing business.
The commendation came on Tuesday in Abuja during the official launch of the system by the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), making the agency the first to implement the policy among ministries, departments and agencies.
Addressing participants, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, described the event as an important milestone in the nation’s journey towards a modern, efficient and technology-driven maritime administration that fully aligns with global standards and responds to the demands of contemporary trade.
He said the theme of the launch, “Driving the Maritime and Blue Economy Sector through Digital Innovation”, could not have been more timely. In a world defined by speed, automation and precision, digital transformation has become an essential pillar of effective governance, institutional efficiency and global competitiveness.
“The ECMS we unveil today is a critical component of this transformation. Although designed primarily for internal workflow and records management, its impact on service delivery will be far-reaching. By eliminating paper-based processes, reducing manual handling, and minimising bureaucratic bottlenecks, this system will strengthen institutional efficiency and enable the council to deliver predictable, transparent, and high-quality regulatory services. It represents a decisive shift towards a more agile, accountable, and technology-enabled organisation.”
He added that with automated workflows, secure approvals, centralised information management and real-time task tracking, the ECMS will significantly reduce turnaround times and ensure that the Council’s interventions are timely and professionally executed. This transformation, he said, aligns seamlessly with the ministry’s broader agenda of improving port performance, reducing inefficiencies and enhancing Nigeria’s competitiveness in regional and global trade.
“Our commitment to trade facilitation is already evident in the far-reaching reforms being implemented under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. We have successfully addressed the long-standing Apapa gridlock, restoring order to one of the country’s busiest trade corridors and enhancing cargo evacuation efficiency. The Federal Government has also approved a comprehensive programme for port upgrade and modernisation across the country – an ambitious initiative aimed at enhancing capacity, improving cargo handling efficiency, and ensuring our ports meet international standards.”
The Minister said that, in addition, the establishment of Inland Dry Ports across all six geopolitical zones underscores the government’s determination to decentralise trade, bring shipping services closer to the hinterland, reduce pressure on the seaports and promote economic inclusion.
“These facilities will boost domestic and regional trade, strengthen intermodal connectivity, and deepen economic activities across the federation.
“We must also acknowledge Nigeria’s recent election into Category C of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council – a proud moment for our nation and a clear reflection of our growing global influence and commitment to advancing maritime safety, security, and environmental sustainability.”
Corroborating the Minister, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, said the occasion represents more than an institutional achievement. “It is a broad statement of the federal government’s determination to modernise public administration through integrated digital governance.
“Let me emphasize an important point. The ECMS is not an external-facing service platform. Rather, it is a sophisticated internal tool designed to eliminate deficiencies, delays, and opacity that often accompany paper-based processes and manual workflows.”
Akume said that by strengthening internal coordination, documentation integrity and operational transparency, the system will greatly enhance the Council’s overall regulatory effectiveness and the quality of service ultimately delivered to stakeholders.
The system’s 30 tiers, secure approval processes, workflow automation and centralised document repository reflect global best practices. These features will ensure greater accountability, reduce discretionary bottlenecks and enable the Council to respond to industry challenges with speed and precision.
While commending the Executive Secretary, Mr Akuta, for taking the lead, Akume observed that the Nigerian Shippers Council has demonstrated leadership among MDAs in fulfilling the presidential mandate on digital records management, noting that this effort contributes directly to the ease of doing business and to the broader strategy of modernising government operations.
Dr Didi Esther Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, in her keynote address, announced that the nation’s civil service is now fully digitised in line with the federal government’s digital transformation agenda.
“As you all know the federal civil service is currently undergoing a digital transformation. Digitalization, if I dare say, is the adoption and integration of digital technologies into all aspects of operations, fundamentally changing how organizations work, deliver services, manage information, and interact with stakeholders.
“It is about transforming business models, increasing efficiency, ensuring transparency, and improving decision-making. Globally, maritime and trade sectors are increasingly digital. Leading economies leverage enterprise content management systems, automation, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to drive efficiency, enhance transparency, and maximize competitiveness.”
To this end, she remarked that Nigeria must therefore align with these global best practices to remain relevant in the blue economy space.
“At a national level, we commend the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and the Digital Economy for its efforts on digitalization. However, in the federal civil service, we have also made significant strides.
“We now have integrated systems managing payroll, personnel, and performance, digital platforms, streamlined document management, and automated workflows. Citizen-facing services are also online. Interoperability between ministries and extra-ministerial departments has improved, and data is securely managed within Nigeria, strengthening transparency, evidence-based decision-making, and overall governance.
“A few weeks ago, the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation migrated to a locally developed platform in the spirit of the Nigeria First policy to also reinforce data sovereignty, reduce reliance on foreign systems, and build local digital capacity.
“This homegrown solution ensures a more efficient, transparent, and secure system, and I am pleased to see that the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has also embraced the same initiative by using a locally developed software. I think this is a good place to clap.
“Today’s ceremony, therefore, marks a major stride in Nigeria’s journey towards building a digitally empowered, efficient, transparent, and globally competitive public service. The enterprise content management system being launched today is more than a technological solution. It is the embodiment of a mindset, a mindset that says government must evolve, government must modernise, government must deliver with excellence, and government must utilize innovation as a tool for national transformation.”
Walson-Jack insisted that the future of the marine and blue economy is digital. The future of public service administration is digital. The future of trade facilitation, regulatory efficiency, safety, competitiveness, and revenue optimization is unquestionably digital. “This is the global truth, and the Nigerian Shippers’ Council has taken a decisive step to secure that future.”
She submitted that “digital innovation is no longer a luxury reserved for advanced economies. It is a defining infrastructure of national growth. It is the single most powerful equalizer available to developing nations, enabling them to leapfrog traditional constraints and embrace efficiency, transparency, and accountability. In the public service, we are moving decisively in this direction through the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025.
“Incidentally, that plan comes to an end this year, and therefore, the timeline given for all ministries and extra-ministerial departments to go paperless remains sacrosanct. Under this plan, we have adopted a bold reform agenda structured around six pillars, which are capability building and talent management, performance management system, the integrated personnel and payroll information system of the HR module, innovation, digitalization of content services, and staff welfare for an enhanced value proposition for civil servants.
“Of all these pillars, the digitalization pillar of reform remains our most transformative.
“The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, thank you, has implemented several digital initiatives to strengthen information access, engagement, and service delivery. These include the ServiceWise GPT, our own homegrown AI tool for federal public servants, and the general public.
“And if you are not yet using ServiceWise GPT, please don’t leave this meeting without looking for it on Google and using it. And you can thank me later. We also have our online compendium of federal circulars, a comprehensive archive of official circulars from 1995 to date.
“So no more looking for circulars from office to office. Just go to the website of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation. Click on the online compendium of circulars and locate your circular either by author, date, or subject matter.
“Please, we are talking about the public service. We must embrace solutions that reduce manual processes, improve speed, enhance accuracy, and build transparency.”
Earlier in a welcome address, the Executive Secretary/CEO of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Mr Akutah Pius Ukeyima, highlighted that the launch of the Council’s Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) marks a transformative moment in the institution’s history, as it takes a decisive step towards building a paperless, efficient and digitally empowered regulatory organisation.
He said this was done following the directive of Mr President, and as anchored also by the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, and as committed by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy.
He said, “The ECMS is a core pillar of our digital transformation agenda. It is an internal workflow and record management tool, designed to eliminate the delays, manual file movement, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that have long hampered public institutions.
“While it is not targeted at external stakeholders, it is an essential enabler of better service delivery to them. By improving the speed, accountability, and transparency of our internal processes, we are strengthening the foundation of our regulatory role within the maritime and blue economy sector.”
Mr Akutah said the system provides automated workflows, secure digital approvals, a unified archive of documents and real-time performance dashboards. “These features will ensure that tasks are executed promptly and monitored, responsibilities are clearly tracked, and information is safeguarded and easily accessible.
“This launch is our response to the Presidential Directive and Head of Service mandate for all MDAs to fully digitise administrative operations by the end of 2025.
“We are proud to be among the early adopters – demonstrating that this transformation is not only possible but essential. I extend my profound appreciation to my Minister, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, to my father, the SGF, and to the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, and our esteemed stakeholders and distinguished guests for their unwavering support, without which we would not have attained this height.
“I also commend the Nigerian Shippers’ Council internal teams and our technical partners for the dedication and hard work that brought us to this point.”
While admonishing the staff of the council, he said, “This system is now your office. Let us embrace it and sustain the discipline required to maintain a modern, effortless, and efficient regulatory environment.
“In that environment, if you don’t have a hand, you cannot shake anyone. Today, after this launch, we have a digital hand that we can shake on any digital platform in the civil service,” he said.
