Rivers civil service leads Nigeria’s state digital shift to paperless future

The Rivers State Civil Service is set to adopt sovereign digital platforms to empower its workforce, enhance service delivery, and set the pace for modern governance in Nigeria.

The government’s position was announced during the 2025 Civil Service Week, which commenced on September 9, 2025, reaffirming its commitment to a paperless future and digital-first administration.

Speaking at the event, the Acting Head of Service, Dr. Iyingi Brown, unveiled the civil service’s new vision, mission, and pledge, urging staff to embrace the reforms.

“Rivers will lead the way in building a global-standard civil service that is innovative, professional, and digitally driven,” she declared.

The adoption of sovereign digital platforms will strengthen the state’s capacity to deliver faster, citizen-focused services while safeguarding sensitive data within Nigeria’s jurisdiction.

Beyond technology, the transformation will equip civil servants with modern tools to streamline workflows, cut bureaucratic bottlenecks, and enhance accountability.

Representing the Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, Wumi Oghoetuoma, Programme Director of the 1Government Cloud, stressed the importance of inclusive digital transformation:

“Civil servants are not being replaced—they are being elevated, securing their relevance in a digital era,” he noted.

In his remarks, Sole  Administrator of Rivers State is Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd.),commended civil servants for supporting reforms across salary payments, pension processes, and infrastructure upgrades.

“I am proud of what we have achieved together. This bold step into digital transformation shows what is possible when the civil service embraces change with unity and commitment,” he said.

The 2025 Civil Service Week has become more than a platform for reflection—it has become a launchpad for Rivers State to champion sovereign digitalisation, setting a model for other states and the nation at large.

At the federal level, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, had earlier unveiled Nigeria’s bold digital transformation agenda, with a firm deadline to end all paper-based operations by December 31, 2025.

Speaking in Abuja during the 2025 African Public Service Day celebrations, Dr. Walson-Jack urged her counterparts,the Heads of Service from the 36 states and the FCT, to adopt the federal template and key into the ambitious reform.

According to her, the transition to a fully digital workflow is a critical milestone in the ongoing implementation of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 2021–2025), which concludes at the end of 2025.

“We must put an end to paper-based operations and embrace a modern, technology-driven system that improves productivity and accountability,” she emphasized.

She explained that the reform would not only reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks but also enhance service delivery, curb leakages, and strengthen data-driven decision-making across ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs).

Walson-Jack further called on state governments to domesticate the FCSSIP framework and work collaboratively with the federal government to ensure the nationwide success of the reform.

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