Ijaw Youth Back Civil Service Digital Reforms

A coalition of Ijaw youths has urged Nigerians to support the Federal Government’s digital transformation of the civil service, saying the reforms should not be overshadowed by recent developments surrounding the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC).

The Coalition of Ijaw Youth (CJY) said the ongoing reforms, led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, were laying the foundation for a more transparent, efficient and accountable public service.

In a statement signed by its National President, Bedford Berefa Benjamin, the group said the deployment of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) System, GovMail, the 1-GOV Cloud Platform and other digital solutions had accelerated Nigeria’s transition to a paperless civil service.

“The transformation being championed by the Head of the Civil Service is redefining public administration by ensuring official records are digitally preserved, approvals are traceable and accountability is strengthened,” the statement said.

The coalition said the reforms had replaced cumbersome manual processes with secure digital platforms that improve document management, preserve institutional memory, promote transparency and speed up decision-making across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

It added that expanding digital governance would reduce administrative errors, strengthen internal controls, improve audit trails and ensure greater compliance with public service rules.

According to the group, recent events should strengthen rather than weaken efforts to deepen institutional reforms, arguing that technology-driven systems provide stronger safeguards against procedural lapses associated with manual administration.

The coalition also commended initiatives aimed at strengthening merit-based career progression, capacity development, payroll integrity and knowledge management, describing them as critical to building a modern and responsive civil service.

It said institutional reform was a continuous process that should not be undermined by premature conclusions before administrative processes were completed.

“The ongoing digital transformation of the Federal Civil Service is one of the most ambitious governance reforms in Nigeria today. It deserves sustained support, consolidation and full implementation across government,” the statement added.

The group called on the Federal Government to accelerate the nationwide rollout of digital governance initiatives, saying a fully integrated and paperless public service would improve transparency, efficiency, accountability and public confidence in government institutions.