INTERAS: Interior Ministry rolls out E-Archiving system to eliminate paperwork

The Ministry of Interior has inaugurated the Interior Electronic Records and Archiving System (INTERAS), a digital platform designed to eliminate paperwork, enhance transparency, and fast-track service delivery.

The Federal Government through the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation had set December 2025 as the deadline for all ministries and agencies of government to be fully digitised.

With the successful unveiling of the digital platform, the Interior ministry has become the 18th federal ministry to go live on the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, beating the Federal Civil Service’s December 2025 paperless deadline.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo who was joined by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, described INTERAS as a game-changer in governance, stressing that public service must adapt to the realities of the digital age.

“This is 2025, not 1975. Technology must play its role in governance. You cannot run any process without catalysts, and technology is that catalyst that speeds up the rate of progress,” he said.

The minister emphasised his policy of efficiency, declaring, “My policy has always been that no file stays overnight on my desk. With this system, I can now work on the move, run a mobile office, and process documents faster and more efficiently.”

Tunji-Ojo outlined several reforms already achieved under the ministry’s automation drive. He said the Citizenship and Business Department is now fully digitized, allowing applications for citizenship, business permits, and marriage licenses to be completed online without paperwork. Quota administration, he added, has been harmonized with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to make the process fraud-proof.

“Today, we issue electronic CERPAC forms instead of manual documents that once forced applicants to travel long distances. We have also built an 8.3-petabyte, Tier-4, solar-powered data centre to ensure government retains ownership of its data.

“Border management has been upgraded with advanced surveillance and the UN-mandated Advanced Passenger Information System, which allows Nigeria to know who is entering the country before arrival,” the minister explained.

He further disclosed that even the Federal Fire Service has been automated to track response times with verifiable data, describing the reforms as part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “strategic leadership that has never turned down a memo on public service transformation.”

The minister praised his team, singling out the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, directors, and staff for their dedication and sacrifices.

“Contrary to the stereotype about civil servants, my experience has shown that the Ministry of Interior is blessed with some of the best officers in public service. The transformation you see today was not driven by allocations but by their sleepless nights and commitment,” he said.

Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, commended the ministry for setting the pace, calling it proof that digital transformation in governance is achievable.

“By steering the Ministry of Interior to become the 18th ministry to go live on the ECM platform, you have proven that with vision, teamwork, and commitment, digital transformation is achievable. Eighteen done, twenty to go. The December 31 deadline for a paperless civil service is indeed feasible,” she declared.

Walson-Jack hailed Tunji-Ojo’s “reform-minded leadership” and his digital reforms in passport issuance, visa and residence permits, and border management systems, noting that these have directly touched millions of lives.

She also urged the ministry to fully integrate the Performance Management System (PMS) to complement ECM, while challenging other ministries and agencies to meet the 2025 digitization deadline.

Earlier, Dr. Ajani revealed that it took nine months to complete INTERAS, with 275 computers already deployed across departments, allowing staff to work from anywhere in the world. The launch also featured the commissioning of a new ICT room.

Tunji-Ojo assured that the automation drive had only just begun and that all agencies under the Ministry of Interior would eventually be integrated into INTERAS. “Together, we will continue to transform the Ministry of Interior into a model of efficiency, transparency, and digital excellence.”

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