Federal Government Sets December Deadline For Civil Service To Go Fully Paperless

The federal government, through the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has announced a definitive deadline for the complete digitalisation of all federal ministries and extra-ministerial departments, declaring that they must become entirely paperless by December 31, 2025.

Walson-Jack made this declaration on Thursday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the second edition of the Citizens and Stakeholders Engagement meeting organised by her office.

The event, aimed at fostering transparency and collaboration, brought together Directors-General, CEOs, state heads of service, civil servants, and citizens both physically and online.

In a wide-ranging speech, the Head of Service framed the digitalisation drive as a cornerstone of a broader reform agenda designed to eliminate inefficiency and corruption.

“We envisage that reducing human interaction would eliminate conduits of inefficiency, delay and corruption.

“Digitalisation represents more than a shift to digital files but a leap towards a modern, efficient and transparent civil service where decision making is quicker, records are secure and processes are more innovative,” she said.

She revealed that official email accounts have already been provided for over 92,000 public servants and announced that the official email addresses of the registries of ministries that are already paperless would be released to the public.

Walson-Jack used the forum, which coincided with the conclusion of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 (FCSSIP25), to reflect on progress made. She highlighted several key achievements.

“Personnel Audit: A comprehensive Personnel Audit and Skills Gap Analysis (PASSGAP) of the Federal Civil Service is underway, with verification of domestic staff completed and verification for civil servants in the diaspora set for December 15-19.

“Performance Management: The Performance Management System (PMS) is now actively being used for promotions. “Structured feedback, clear performance indicators and measurable outcomes are already improving productivity across the service,” she noted.

“Capacity Building: Institutions like the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) and the Public Service Institute of Nigeria (PSIN) are being revitalised to bolster professional development,” she said

She also announced that the 2026 International Civil Service Conference will be held on May 20 and 21, 2026, urging stakeholders to mark their calendars boldly.

The head of Service expressed profound gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his visionary leadership and steadfast commitment, which she said enabled landmark initiatives like the digitalisation drive and the approval of new policies on rewards, recognition, and mentoring.

She also thanked development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Galaxy Backbone Limited, the government’s official ICT provider, for their sustained support.

“This is the moment for innovation, proactive problem-solving, collaboration and full ownership of the ongoing reforms. Lead from your desks, embody service values, uphold professionalism and finish strong,” she stated.