..praises Walson-Jack for civil service reforms
The Secretary of the Government of the Federation, George Akumehas reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to building a modern, responsive and citizen-centered public service in the country, highlighting that the future of governance lies in systems, not shortcuts.
He commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ms Didi Walson-Jack, for her vision, consistency and commitment to Federal Civil Service reform, noting that the milestones achieved clearly demonstrate what is possible when leadership aligns policy with execution.
Akume, who was the guest of honour, spoke at the Paperless Civil Service Gala and Awards Night held in Abuja on Wednesday.
In line with the Federal Government’s digitization programme, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are expected to transition to paperless operations by December 31, 2025. This process, through the implementation of the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS), is supported by Galaxy Backbone.
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The SGF noted that the transition to paperless work processes is not simply a technological improvement but a fundamental change in culture, mindset and service delivery, saying this represents efficiency over bureaucracy, transparency over opacity and accountability over discretion.
“This transformation is fully aligned with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 2021-2025) and the broader public sector reform agenda of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Digital governance is no longer optional; it is essential for effective coordination, fiscal discipline, and timely decision-making across government.
“Tonight, we also celebrate the individuals, teams and institutions that have demonstrated leadership, innovation and courage in driving change, often in the face of resistance. Their recognition here sends a powerful message across the Service: excellence will be seen and excellence will be rewarded,” SGF said.
He therefore urged all ministries, departments and agencies to institutionalize digital processes, safeguard data integrity, invest in capacity building and sustain reform beyond personalities, while reaffirming his Office’s commitment to supporting all initiatives that improve coordination, efficiency and reform across the government.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Ms Didi Walson-Jack, for her part, noted that the journey towards a paperless and digitally transformed Federal Civil Service did not begin overnight, revealing that previous reforms have been consolidated and accelerated with urgency and discipline, ensuring continuity and sustainability while achieving measurable results.
“That is why War Rooms were established under FCSSIP25, not as spaces for long speeches, but as platforms for execution, accountability and results.
“The Digitalization War Room in particular has driven the transformation from aspiration to realization, and the evidence is now visible across the Service,” he said.
Walson-Jack revealed that GOVMail, powered through this coordinated push, now has 100,828 official email accounts created for workers, providing secure government communication at scale, strengthening sovereignty over official correspondence, improving responsiveness and saving government billions of naira previously spent on external licenses.
He revealed that the government has also implemented a world-class GPT Service-Wise, an Artificial Intelligence tool, trained on the Constitution, Public Service Rules, legal regulations, circulars and other official instruments and has recorded more than 25,000 chats, allowing faster access to authoritative guidance for public servants and the general public.
“Tonight represents a turning point in the Nigerian Federal Civil Service’s reform journey, because digitalisation, which for many years seemed like a good idea that we would get to ‘one day’, has finally arrived, and I am delighted that we can now talk about it not as a concept, but as a reality,” she said.
Galaxy Backbone Managing Director and CEO, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, said almost all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have started or are actively transitioning their operations through the GBB 1Government Cloud solution, laying a solid foundation for a smarter and more responsive public service.
He noted that Galaxy Backbone is proud to be a strategic partner in the journey, supporting the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to enable a secure, scalable and efficient digital infrastructure while reaffirming the commitment, together with other partners, to continue working tirelessly to ensure that MDAs achieve full digitalization and unlock the true benefits of paperless government.