The Head of the Civil Service (HOS) of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, has urged ministries and extra-ministerial departments to accelerate their digital transformation processes before the December 31 deadline.
Walson-Jack was speaking during the official inauguration of the Federal Ministry of Education Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) platform in Abuja on Friday.
She commended the Minister of Education for his commitment to digital transformation and for beating the Federal Government’s Dec. 31, 2025 deadline for all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to go live on the ECMS platform.
“This is more than just a launch. It is a clear signal that the Federal Ministry of Education is ahead of schedule.
“By doing this, you are in perfect alignment with Pillar 5 of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) 2021–2025, which emphasises the digitalisation of work processes,” she said.
She linked the initiative to the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda under President Bola Tinubu which sought to promote efficiency, transparency, and technology-driven governance.
She encouraged other ministries and extra-ministerial departments to accelerate their digital transformation processes before the December deadline.
“If education can do it, so can you. Time is running out, and December 31 is around the corner. Get on board now or risk being left behind,” she said.
The HOS explained that the ECMS was only the first step in a broader digital transformation agenda, pointing to the One Knowledge System recently launched by her office as a comprehensive framework for automating and modernising public service operations.
According to her, the system encompasses all stages of a civil servant’s career from recruitment and training to leadership development and exit management, while integrating digital literacy, artificial intelligence tools, and performance management systems.
Walson-Jack also acknowledged the contributions of Secures Records Management Solutions, the technical service provider for the Ministry’s ECMS platform, for its professionalism and consistency in supporting public sector digitalisation.
She charged public servants to embrace digitalisation not as a task but as a culture, emphasising that “the future of governance is digital, and the future is now.”6
On his part, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, described the platform as a “revolutionary initiative” designed to enhance transparency, accountability, and innovation in the Ministry’s operations.
Alausa noted that the ECMS represented a major milestone in the Ministry’s modernisation agenda and a crucial move away from the long-standing dependence on paper-based processes that have slowed down public service delivery for decades.
“For too long, public institutions have relied heavily on manual, paper-based processes to manage information and documents.
“While this system served its purpose in the past, it often led to delays, duplication of effort, and difficulties in retrieving or securing vital records,” the minister said.
According to him, the new digital platform will transform the way the ministry manages information, ensuring faster and more secure access to data, while supporting the federal government’s broader digital transformation and e-governance agenda.
Alausa highlighted three key objectives of the initiative as enhancing transparency and accountability across all levels of operation and supporting the federal government’s digital transformation and e-governance drive.
Another objective he said was improving service delivery through more accurate and reliable access to information.
Alausa, however, emphasised that the true success of the ECMS would depend on the ministry’s staff fully embracing and effectively using the system.
He urged all departments and units to integrate the new platform into their daily workflows, describing the launch as the beginning of a new era of digital transformation in the ministry. (NAN)
