The Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, Dasuki Arabi, has stated that federal ministries, departments, and agencies no longer rely on manual payment processes, stressing that government transactions are now fully digitised as a result of public financial management reforms.

“As I’m talking to you today, no Nigerian federal public service agency or ministry uses pen, paper, or biro to make payments for services, for contracts by any citizen, by any company. So that has been digitalised 100 per cent,” Arabi said on Monday while addressing journalists during a New Year conversation on the bureau’s reform scorecard in Abuja.

He attributed the move away from cash and manual payments to reforms in government financial systems, noting that digitisation has enhanced public transparency in the release and utilisation of public funds.

He added that the shift has also strengthened control over government resources, as “people now have the opportunity to know how much has been released, how much has been utilised, and who the beneficiaries are.”

Arabi explained that the bureau, established in 2004, was mandated to initiate, drive, implement, and monitor public service reforms. While other institutions are also empowered to initiate reforms, he noted that they are required to report back to the BPSR for monitoring and evaluation.

He said the bureau’s activities are guided by the National Strategy on Public Service Reforms, which he described as the nation’s reform “tracker” and the coordinating framework for reforms implemented since 2004.

According to him, a key part of the bureau’s work over the years has been strengthening government institutions by setting benchmarks and standards for MDAs, including encouraging improvements in their online presence and channels for citizen engagement.

He said the bureau introduced a scorecard to rank MDA websites and collaborated with other agencies to harmonise the basic structure of government websites, while still allowing institutions to maintain their distinct identities.

He explained that the website reforms require MDAs to operate functional websites, telephone lines, and interactive portals that enable citizens to engage with government, request information, and receive feedback.

“We say every MDA must have an interactive portal for freedom of information on their website, so that citizens can ask questions, can interact, can get feedback immediately from ministries, departments, and agencies of government,” he said.

Arabi added that the bureau also partnered with anti-corruption agencies and civil society organisations to develop a Transparency and Integrity Index for assessing MDA performance, including how extensively they publish procurement and recruitment information.

He said procurement details and other public information are expected to be made available online, stressing that citizens have a right to access such data.

He also linked the bureau’s reform efforts to the Treasury Single Account, which he described as a BPSR-initiated reform that gives the government a clearer, real-time view of inflows into the national treasury.