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Akume declares: Digital governance no longer optional
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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, has declared that Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service has crossed a critical threshold in its digital revolution, proclaiming the era of paper files officially over during a Paperless Civil Service Gala and Awards Night in Abuja on Wednesday night.
In her keynote address to an elite gathering that included Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume; Minister of Regional Development, Alhaji Uba Ahmadu; Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Mrs Hadiza Bala Usman; and Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ambassador Isaac Parashina, Mrs Walson-Jack hailed the night’s significance.
“This evening represents a defining moment in the reform journey of the Nigerian Federal Civil Service, because digitalisation, which for many years sounded like a good idea we would get to ‘one day,’ has finally arrived, and I am delighted that we can now speak about it not as a concept, but reality,” she proclaimed.
The event celebrated hard-won milestones under the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), tracing roots to 2017 when Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita launched the initial strategy introducing the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS). Early reforms digitised staff postings to thwart fraud, while Mrs Folasade Yemi-Esan mandated full file digitisation in 2020 amid COVID-19, evolving it into “Digitalisation of Content Services.”
Mrs Walson-Jack, who took office in August 2024, explained that she inherited just three fully digitised entities: her office, the Ministries of Transportation and Finance. She accelerated progress via Seven War Rooms in FCSSIP25’s “Final Sprint.”
“The Digitalisation War Room in particular has driven the transformation from aspiration to delivery, and the evidence is now visible across the Service,” she said, spotlighting GOVMail’s 100,828 accounts saving billions, Service-Wise GPT’s 25,000+ chats, and digitised training via the Federal Civil Service Online Academy.
She explained that Automated Performance Management Systems and Personnel Audit now underpin accountability, all prioritising local solutions under the Nigeria First Policy.
Senator Akume said the event not only symbolised celebration, but a defining milestone in the ongoing transformation of the Nigerian Civil Service. He commended the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, under the leadership of Mrs Walson-Jack, for its vision, consistency, and commitment to reform.
He added: “This event is a clear demonstration of what is possible when leadership aligns policy with execution.”
He framed the shift as cultural: “The transition to paperless work processes is not merely a technological upgrade; it is a fundamental shift in culture, mindset, and service delivery. It represents efficiency over bureaucracy, transparency over opacity, and accountability over discretion.”
Aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Senator Akume stressed: “Digital governance is no longer optional; it is essential to effective coordination, fiscal discipline, and timely decision-making across government.”
Urging sustainability, he added: “We also celebrate individuals, teams, and institutions who have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and courage in driving change, often in the face of resistance… As we look ahead, I urge all Ministries, Departments and Agencies to institutionalise digital processes, safeguard data integrity, invest in capacity building, and sustain reform beyond personalities. The future of governance lies in systems, not shortcuts.”
Mrs Walson-Jack praised awardees: “To our awardees and your teams, let me say clearly: you earned this moment because you did not wait for perfect conditions, you did not wait for everyone else to go first… You went live, you stayed live, and you are still standing.”
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She credited President Tinubu’s support—“without presidential support, even the best digital systems would still be waiting for approval”—and commended Galaxy Backbone, the Digitalisation War Room, and pioneers like the Nigerian Shippers’ Council.
With a humorous nudge to stragglers: “If you go live on ECMS, we will celebrate you, and yes, we can still have another party in your honour… Digitalisation is not about the absence of problems, but about solving them faster and smarter.”
She shared: “Even in my office, I have had to occasionally remind the Permanent Secretaries not to take me back to ‘Egypt’ by bringing paper files but send them electronically.”
In his goodwill message, MD/CEO of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, described the event as “a powerful moment of reflection on how far we have come as a civil service, and a confident statement of where we are headed as a nation.”
“The transition towards a paperless civil service marks a defining milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey; one that places efficiency, transparency and service excellence at the heart of governance,” he said.
Praising Mrs Walson-Jack’s “visionary leadership and unwavering commitment,” Professor Adeyanju noted: “Today, almost all MDAs have either commenced or are actively transitioning their operations through the GBB 1Government Cloud solution, laying a solid foundation for a smarter, more responsive public service.”
He recommitted Galaxy Backbone’s role: “We reaffirm our commitment, alongside our partners to continue working tirelessly to ensure that MDAs achieve full digitalisation and unlock the true benefits of a paperless government.”
Tying it to national goals, he affirmed: “This transformation aligns squarely with the Renewed Hope Agenda of His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR… A paperless civil service is not just a technological shift; it is a critical enabler of accountability, innovation and inclusive growth.”
The Programme Director of the 1Gov. Cloud Framework, Mr Wumi Oghoetuoma, framed the event as Nigeria’s “national inflection point—the moment the Nigerian Civil Service decisively crossed from paper to platform, from fragmentation to federation, and from aspiration to execution.”
Crediting Mrs Walson-Jack’s deadline-setting, the director said: “When the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation declared that the Service had entered the final sprint of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, with digitalisation as a core pillar… By setting a clear, non-negotiable horizon, the Head of Service collapsed indecision, eliminated procrastination, and aligned Ministries, Departments and Agencies.”
He urged: “A paperless civil service is not about technology alone. It is about speed, accountability, institutional memory, service to citizens… Together, we have proven that Africa can design, build, and operate sovereign digital public infrastructure—at scale, and with confidence.”
A list of 31 compliant ministries and extra-ministerial departments followed, with the OHCSF offering support.
