Federal Government Completes Transition to Paperless Operations
The Federal Government has announced the successful transition to paperless operations across all federal departments. This initiative is part of a broader effort to reform public services, aiming to enhance governance and improve service delivery.
Highlights from the International Civil Service Conference
This milestone was highlighted during the 2026 International Civil Service Conference, a gathering that unites government officials, reform experts, and technology stakeholders to discuss digital transformation in Africa. The announcement came in a statement released on Saturday.
All Departments Meet Digital Deadline
Didi Wolson-Jack, head of the Federal Civil Service, revealed at the conference that all 38 federal departments successfully achieved the December 2025 deadline for becoming entirely digital and paperless. She emphasized that these reforms are vital to modernizing the federal civil service through technology-driven systems and innovation.
Embracing Innovation and Technology
Wolson-Jack stated, “We are embracing innovation, resilience, and technology-driven reforms to strengthen governance and service delivery.” She also highlighted the federal government’s AI-powered Service-Wise GPT platform, which has supported civil service rules and institutional knowledge, recording over 50,000 conversations since its launch.
AI as a Complement to Human Judgment
She described these metrics as indicative of the value technology brings when addressing real challenges, reinforcing the idea that artificial intelligence should enhance, rather than replace, human judgment in public administration.
Leadership and Support for Digital Transformation
The service chief credited the ongoing reform progress to the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, noting significant strides in accountability and performance across the public sector. She praised Galaxy Backbone and its technology partner Crown Interactive for their critical role in advancing the government’s digital transformation agenda through the 1Government Cloud initiative.
Creating a Government-Centric Digital Workspace
During the event, Wumi Oghoetuoma characterized the initiative as a government-focused digital workspace designed to place civil servants at the heart of public sector transformation. “A public servant is also a citizen. They are not merely individuals behind desks but are the very individuals the system is designed to serve,” he asserted.
Secure Digital Tools for Government Agencies
Oghoetuoma elaborated that the platform will equip government agencies with a range of secure digital workplace tools, including official email systems, electronic document management, electronic signature services, identity management, workflow automation, and video conferencing on sovereign infrastructure. This initiative aligns with global digital public infrastructure principles and promotes data sovereignty within Africa’s public sector.
Partnerships and Strategies for Digital Transformation
Conference participants also explored topics such as financing reform, strategies for building resilient and citizen-centered systems, and forming partnerships for digital transformation in Africa. A key highlight of the event was the Dealroom initiative, created to help stakeholders formalize partnerships and establish memorandums of understanding to fast-track governance reform and digital transformation efforts across the continent.
