Walson-Jack Declares End to Paper-Based Bureaucracy in Federal Service
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has announced the end of paper-based operations across Nigeria’s Federal Civil Service, following the full implementation of government directives mandating digital workflows in all ministries and extra-ministerial departments.
Speaking at a media parley in Abuja on Wednesday, Walson-Jack said that with effect from the close of business on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, all Federal Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments (MEMDs) have transitioned to digital operations, marking a major shift in the administration of government business.
She said the development represents a decisive move away from legacy bureaucratic processes toward a modern public service built on accountability, efficiency and technology-enabled service delivery.
According to her, the reform builds on years of incremental digitalisation efforts under successive administrations and Heads of the Civil Service, but gained significant momentum after she assumed office in August 2024.
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“At that time, only three MEMDs had achieved limited digital operations. That number has since expanded to 38 MEMDs, comprising 33 ministries and five extra-ministerial departments, including the State House, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, the Federal Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation”, she said.
As part of the reform, Walson-Jack said the Federal Civil Service has standardised official communication through the widespread deployment of government email accounts.
She disclosed that fewer than 20,000 official email addresses existed as of August 2024, but the number has now grown to over 100,000, ensuring that all civil servants operate with official government email identities.
She explained that the move has strengthened the security and traceability of official correspondence, reduced reliance on informal communication channels and delivered significant cost savings to the Federal Government by eliminating fragmented external email subscriptions.
Walson-Jack said the reform outcomes align with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, which designated 2025 as the “Year of Accomplishment,” with a focus on delivering measurable results across the service.
She added that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation would now extend implementation to departments and agencies, while sustaining momentum through optimisation, compliance monitoring, cybersecurity enhancement and further digitisation of government workflows.
From now on, she said, federal ministries and extra-ministerial departments will no longer accept paper submissions through physical registries, as all official correspondence must be sent through designated electronic channels.
