Head Of Service Announces End To Paper Based Operations In Civil Service

 

Mrs Esther Didi Walson-Jack 
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation 

"The reform outcomes, align with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, which designated 2025 as the “Year of Accomplishment,” with a focus on delivering measurable results across the service." HCSF 

.... Says "the era of missing or misplaced files in the Federal Civil Service is over".

Nigeria's Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has announced the end of paper-based operations in the Federal Civil Service. 

Announcing this in Abuja, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack disclosed that with effect from the close of business on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, all Federal Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments (MEMDs) have transitioned to digital operations. 

This is as she noted that it represents a decisive move away from legacy bureaucratic processes toward a modern public service built on accountability, efficiency and technology-enabled service delivery.

It could be recalled that the Federal Civil Service had tasked all Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to digitalize their workflows latest 31st December, 2025. 

Mrs Didi Walson-Jack applauded the compliance from all the Federal Ministries which she said, marked a major shift in the administration of government business in Nigeria.

She emphasized that the reform builds on years of incremental digitalisation efforts under successive administrations and Heads of the Civil Service.

The Head of Service noted that it gained significant momentum after she assumed office in August 2024.

According to her, "At that time, only three MEMDs had achieved limited digital operations. That number has since expanded to 38 MEMDs, comprising 33 ministries and five extra-ministerial departments, including the State House, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation”.

The HCSF said the Federal Civil Service has standardised official communication through the widespread deployment of government email accounts. This is as she also revealed that fewer than 20,000 official email addresses existed as of August 2024, but the number has now grown to over 100,000, which she observed that all civil servants operate with official government email identities.

The achievement, she said, has strengthened the security and traceability of official correspondence, reduced reliance on informal communication channels and delivered significant cost savings to the Federal Government by eliminating fragmented external email subscriptions.

She stated that the reform outcomes, align with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, which designated 2025 as the “Year of Accomplishment,” with a focus on delivering measurable results across the service.

The Head of Service, who emphasized on sustaining momentum through optimisation, compliance monitoring, cybersecurity enhancement and further digitization of government workflows, stated that, "Going forward, the federal ministries and extra-ministerial departments will no longer accept paper submissions through physical registries, as all official correspondence must be sent through designated electronic channels.

"With the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the OHCSF will launch, in January 2026, a Service-wide Training-of-Trainers programme for 500 trainers who will then train officers across Ministries and other MEMDs to promote practical, hands-on, and sustainable adoption. She disclosed.

According to her, "This capacity building effort will also enhance the effective use of key digital tools and platforms, such as Service-Wise GPT, the Online Compendium of Federal Circulars, GovMail, and various digital transformation systems being implemented across the government, ensuring that every officer can confidently and effectively utilise them"

She disclosed that the era of missing or misplaced files in the Federal Civil Service is over.