The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoSF), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has announced that ongoing digital reforms in the federal civil service have successfully eliminated leaked memos and missing files, while significantly improving transparency and accountability across ministries and agencies.
Digital Transformation in Focus
Walson-Jack made this statement on Monday during an interview on Channels Television's Politics Today, where she discussed reforms, digital transformation, workers' welfare, and the future of Nigeria's civil service. She revealed that the Federal Government has fully digitised files and workflows across ministries, departments, and extra-ministerial agencies as part of efforts to build a modern, efficient, and citizen-centred public service.
Enterprise Content Management System
According to her, all files dating back ten years have been converted into digital formats under the government's Enterprise Content Management System. "So now we have faster processes. We also have the opportunity for citizens to track their files on the enterprise content management systems, and so now more accountability, fewer person-to-person interactions," she said.
Tackling Bureaucratic Challenges
She explained that the reforms have helped address long-standing bureaucratic challenges often associated with delayed file movement and the disappearance of official documents. "This question reminds me of a joke someone cracked the other day. He said it's like files move slower than the traffic in Lagos. But the good news is things are changing," she stated. "We digitalised our workflows and processes, and therefore we now have faster service delivery, transparency, improved accountability, and, of course, there are no more missing files."
End of Hard Copy Submissions
Walson-Jack further disclosed that federal ministries no longer accept hard copy submissions, noting that many Nigerians who still approach ministries with physical documents are now turned back. On concerns over leaked government documents and memos, the HoSF maintained that the digital system has strengthened security and reduced vulnerabilities associated with physical files.
