The Federal Government has announced that the Nigerian civil service will become fully paperless by December 31, 2025.
This move marks a major milestone in the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2021–2025, which is set to conclude at the end of the year.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, made the disclosure on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja to commemorate the 2025 African Public Service Day and Civil Service Week.
“Even before I assumed office, the OHCSF had already gone paperless,” Walson-Jack said. “We are now working to accelerate this transformation across all MDAs.”
According to her, the Federal Ministry of Health recently became the 11th ministry to fully implement the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system, joining the ranks of ministries already operating in a paperless environment.
“Just last week, I was at the Federal Ministry of Health to launch their Enterprise Content Management Systems, making them the 11th ministry to go paperless. The rest are at varying stages of implementation,” she stated.
Walson-Jack also noted that the federal government has engaged with development partners to provide support and funding for the digital transition across ministries.
“We have engaged partners to help fund digital transitions in some of the ministries,” she said. “The race to December 31, 2025, is on, and with hard work and God’s grace, the Nigerian Civil Service will be fully paperless by December 31, 2025.”
As part of the preparations for the upcoming African Public Service Day celebrations, Walson-Jack said her office has embarked on a number of reform-driven initiatives, including a recent study tour to Singapore.
“The study tour to Singapore was the first major activity we undertook under the collaboration between the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Heads of Service of the 36 states and the FCT,” she explained.
She said the visit, which was supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), included 20 state heads of service and was designed to benchmark global best practices and enhance Nigeria’s public service delivery.
“The idea was borne out of our ongoing collaboration, where we share ideas and knowledge across federal and state levels,” she said. “Singapore was chosen because it is globally recognised for excellence in public service.”
According to Walson-Jack, the second phase of the tour will include the remaining 17 state heads of service later this year.
She noted that the delegation had the opportunity to learn from both public and private sector institutions in Singapore.
“It was an eye-opener and a capacity-building opportunity,” she said. “Since our return, several state civil services have begun implementing reforms in collaboration with the federal service, particularly in areas such as capability development and digital transformation.”
She also revealed that Nigeria will host a reciprocal study visit as part of the African Public Service Week activities, where international delegates will witness Nigeria’s ongoing civil service reforms.
“They will see firsthand our digitalisation efforts, performance management systems, and other reform initiatives aimed at transforming our civil service,” Walson-Jack said. “We hope the experience will inspire similar actions in their home countries.”
The ongoing reforms, she emphasised, are part of a broader vision to modernise Nigeria’s civil service, improve efficiency, and align with global standards of public administration.
