Federal Civil Service Has Achieved 99.9% Digitisation, Eliminated Ghost Workers – DG Reforms Bureau

The director general of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Ibrahim Dasuki Arabi, has declared that Nigeria’s civil service achieved 99.9 per cent digitisation compliance and eliminated ghost workers across the federal government’s payroll of about three million employees.

Arabi shared these updates during a New Year media conversation in Abuja earlier this week, highlighting BPSR’s reforms since 2004.

He asserted that Nigeria’s civil service had seen significant enhancements in transparency and accountability across all tiers, crediting his agency’s initiatives since its establishment in 2004.

“We have worked effectively to make sure that there is transparency, accountability and improvement in the quality of public service delivered by ministries, departments and agencies of government,” he submitted.

He credited systems like the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System (IPPS) and the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) for key gains.

“Now, you can no longer change your dates of engagement. If you have to do it, you pass through a lot of hurdles. Unless you have something genuine, you cannot do that, and we no longer have ghost-workers in federal public service,” Arabi assured.

The agency has expanded website scorecards from 20 to nearly 500 MDAs, with 90 per cent now featuring functional sites and interactive portals.

He noted that when the scorecard began, over 80 per cent of MDAs lacked active websites; today, 90 per cent have functional ones, covering nearly 500 agencies.

“Our target in 2007 was to digitalise public financial management 100 per cent. As I’m talking to you today, no Nigerian federal public service agency or ministry uses pen, paper, or biro to make payments for services, for contracts by any citizen, by any company,” he stated.

Key to these efforts is the Integrated Payroll and Personnel System (IPPS) and the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), which Arabi said have eliminated ghost workers and manual alterations. “Now, you can no longer change your dates of engagement. If you have to do it, you pass through a lot of hurdles.

Unless you have something genuine, you cannot do that, and we no longer have ghost-workers in federal public service,” he assured. Compliance with digitisation now stands at “almost 99.9 per cent,” with no federal MDA using pen and paper for payments.

“Our target in 2007 was to digitalise public financial management 100 per cent. As I’m talking to you today, no Nigerian federal public service agency or ministry uses pen, paper, or biro to make payments,” Arabi stated.

These efforts include the Transparency and Integrity Index (TII-N), mandating online publication of procurement and recruitment data, alongside the Treasury Single Account (TSA) for real-time oversight.

Arabi emphasised citizen engagement through Freedom of Information portals, OGP commitments, and a planned National Citizens Experience Conference in Abuja around June 2026.

“We have also developed a framework of engagement between citizens and government… to ensure that citizens know the questions they are asking, and we know the responses we are supposed to be giving,” he pointed out.

Budget processes now incorporate civil society trackers.

While rating BPSR’s performance “over 90 per cent,” Arabi noted ongoing challenges like evolving disruptions from AI and blockchain, with plans to extend reforms to states and local governments serving over 90 per cent of Nigeria’s 240-260 million population.

“We cannot say we are there yet, because the only thing constant in life is change,” he cautioned, yet concluded confidently:

“I’m convinced and happy to announce that we have improved transparency, we have improved accountability.”

“We have worked effectively to make sure that there is transparency, accountability and improvement in quality of public service delivered by ministries, departments and agencies of government,” he submitted.

The agency has introduced benchmarks and scorecards to rank MDAs’ websites, pushing for standardised, functional platforms with interactive citizen engagement portals. “One of the programs that BPSR has introduced… is to get all websites of ministries, departments and agencies of government at the same level, with the same structure, but different content, with the same colour, but different institutional colours to reflect what we are,” Arabi explained.

The Treasury Single Account (TSA) enables real-time treasury oversight, while budget processes now involve civil society trackers.

BPSR has run capacity-building on Freedom of Information (FOI) and plans a National Citizens Experience Conference in Abuja around June 2026 to deepen engagement. Arabi rated BPSR’s performance “over 90 per cent,” adding, “If you ask me to score. BPSR and the federal government, I’ll say we are over 90 per cent. “However, Arabi acknowledged that reforms evolve amid disruptions like COVID-19, AI, blockchain, and the Internet of Things. Nigeria has an e-government master plan and policies for AI and blockchain adoption in public service. While federal payroll covers about three million workers—less than two per cent of Nigeria’s 240-260 million population—BPSR aims to cascade reforms to states and local governments. Pension reforms have ended chaotic retiree protests, but face new issues like delays by pension fund administrators. “We cannot say we are there yet, because the only thing constant in life is change,” he cautioned, assessing overall performance at 100% yet stressing the need to “do more.”BPSR, created in 2004 under a National Strategy on Public Service Reforms, drives, monitors, and evaluates all such initiatives.

Arabi concluded confidently: “I’m convinced and happy to announce that we have improved transparency, we have improved accountability, and the level of engagement.”