The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to building a modern, responsive, and citizen-centred public service in the country, stressing that the future of governance lies in systems, not shortcuts.

He commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, for her vision, consistency, and commitment to reform in the Federal Civil Service, 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 & Awards Night, held on Wednesday in Abuja.

In line with the digitalisation programme of the Federal Government, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies are expected to transition to paperless operations by 31st December 2025. This process, through the deployment of the Enterprise Content Management System, is being supported by the Galaxy Backbone.

The SGF noted that the transition to paperless work processes is not merely a technological upgrade but a fundamental shift 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 to effective coordination, fiscal discipline, and timely decision-making across government.

“Tonight, we also celebrate individuals, teams, and institutions who have demonstrated leadership, innovation, and courage in driving change, often in the face of resistance. Your 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 institutionalise digital processes, safeguard data integrity, invest in capacity building, and sustain reform beyond personalities while reaffirming the commitment of his Office to supporting all initiatives that enhance coordination, efficiency, and reform across government.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, on her part, noted that the journey towards a digitally transformed and paperless Federal Civil Service did not begin overnight, disclosing that the previous reforms have been consolidated and accelerated with urgency and discipline, ensuring continuity and sustainability while delivering measurable outcomes.

“That was why the War Rooms were established under FCSSIP25, not as spaces for long speeches, but as platforms for execution, accountability, and results.

“The Digitalisation War Room in particular has driven the transformation from aspiration to delivery, and the evidence is now visible across the Service,” she stated.

Walson-Jack disclosed that the GOVMail, driven through this coordinated push, now stands at 100,828 official email accounts created for workers, 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.

She revealed that the government has also deployed a world-class Service-Wise GPT, an Artificial Intelligence tool, trained on the Constitution, Public Service Rules, statutory regulations, circulars, and other official instruments and has recorded over 25,000 chats, enabling faster access to authoritative guidance for public servants and the general public.

“This evening represents a defining moment in the reform journey of the Nigerian Federal Civil Service, because digitalisation, which for many years sounded like a good idea we would get to ‘one day,’ has finally arrived, and I am delighted that we can now speak about it not as a concept, but a reality,” she stated.

The Managing Director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Ibrahim Adeyanju, said almost all Ministries, Departments and Agencies have either commenced or are actively transitioning their operations through the GBB 1Government Cloud solution, laying a solid foundation for a smarter, 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 secure, scalable and efficient digital infrastructure while also reaffirming commitment, alongside other partners, to continue working tirelessly to ensure that MDAs achieve full digitalisation and unlock the true benefits of a paperless government.