OHCSF Announces Mandatory Paperless Operations Across Federal Ministries
The Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) has mandated that all federal ministries and extra-ministerial departments transition to fully paperless operations by December 31, 2025.
This directive coincides with the Federal government’s official migration to the indigenous ‘1Gov Cloud’ platform, marking a major milestone in the digitisation of the civil service.
Delivered through the government-owned Galaxy Backbone Limited, the platform ensures interoperability, cost efficiency, and rapid adoption across all ministries. It is designed to be inclusive, covering every civil servant from Grade Level 3 upwards.
Integrated tools such as ‘GovMail’ for email, ‘GovDrive’ for file access, and ‘GovConnect’ for virtual meetings will enable officers to manage workflows digitally.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, led the “Go-Live” event on Monday, emphasising that the deadline is compulsory for all offices.
“We did say that come December 31, 2025, the ministries and extra-ministerial departments would go paperless. And so for us today, the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation migrating to our own indigenous ‘1Gov Cloud’ is very remarkable,” Walson-Jack said.
She expressed gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his commitment to the digitalisation initiative, adding, “What better way than to be digitalized? So I’m very excited. I’m very happy.”
Clarifying misconceptions, Walson-Jack stressed that the system does not permit civil servants to work from home.
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“No, that does not mean you can stay in your house and do work. It only means your work is going to be more efficient, you will be more productive, and the work will be more transparent. Our workflows will now be seamless, and indeed, we will not spend so much time doing work that could be done in a smarter way,” she explained.
The Head of Service outlined the strategic shift from the previous ‘Laserfish’ system to the ‘1Gov Cloud’ Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS), highlighting national sovereignty as a key consideration.
“The first reason is the national sovereignty of digital infrastructure. Moving to 1Gov Cloud aligns with a national shift to sovereign digitalisation and directly protects Nigeria’s data, platforms, and digital future,” she said.
Walson-Jack further announced that the ECMS will integrate with the Performance Management System (PMS) by 2026, transforming accountability across the service.
“Every task becomes auditable. Every approval becomes traceable. Every output becomes measurable. This is how we finally shift from performance by perception to performance by evidence,” she said.
To ensure swift nationwide adoption, a committee of Permanent Secretaries will be constituted with a two-week deadline to negotiate a unified licensing structure with Galaxy Backbone.
“The deadline for all ministries and extra-ministerial departments to go paperless remains 31 December 2025. This is not aspirational, this is authorisational,” Walson-Jack stressed.
She framed the initiative as essential for national competitiveness, stating, “We are not digitalizing for theatrics. We are digitalizing because we are building a nation that must compete and win in the world that we live in.”
