The Federal Government has announced that 31 ministries and extra-ministerial departments are now fully digital, completing paperless civil service transition.
The Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack announced this Wednesday in Abuja at the Paperless Civil Service Gala.
The Federal Government aims to achieve a fully digital, paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
What they are saying
Walson-Jack said the 1Government Cloud, a Service-Wide GPT, provides fast, consistent guidance to reduce delays and errors.
She said “GOVMail, driven through this coordinated push, now stands at 100,828 official email accounts as of this evening, providing secure government communication at scale, strengthening sovereignty over official correspondence, improving responsiveness, and saving the government billions of naira previously spent on external licences.”
“Our world-class Service-Wise GPT trained on the Constitution, Public Service Rules, statutory regulations, circulars, and other official instruments has recorded over 25,000 chats, enabling faster access to authoritative guidance for public servants and the general public,” she added.
She noted further “For those watching the calendar closely, there is still time before the 31st, and let me say cheerfully: if you go live, we will celebrate you….”
Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, Managing Director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone Limited, described the initiative as a landmark in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey.
“The transition towards a paperless civil service marks a defining milestone in Nigeria’s digital transformation journey,” he noted.
He added that it’s one that “places efficiency, transparency, and service excellence at the heart of governance.”
Context behind the move
In May 2024, GBB presented its ambitious vision to digitise 70 per cent of federal government services by 2025.
This comes as part of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2021–2025, which aims to digitise work processes across all MDAs.
At the core of this vision is the 1Government Cloud (1Gov) framework, designed to unify Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) within a single digital environment.
GOVMail and 1Government Cloud adoption boosts cybersecurity, efficiency, and cuts external communication costs.
Several federal ministries and agencies in Nigeria have begun operating on the 1Government Cloud as part of the government’s digitalisation drive.
What this means
The growing uptake of 1Government Cloud and GOVMail indicates that Nigeria is making tangible progress toward a fully digital civil service.
With 25,000 chats and 100,000 email accounts, the initiatives boost collaboration, cut delays, and reduce costs.
These developments not only signal a shift toward a paperless government but also demonstrate the practical impact of investing in AI-driven tools and local innovation in public service delivery.
