Lokpobiri Calls for Intensive Training as Petroleum Ministry Goes Digital

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has stressed the need for extensive training of ministers and civil servants to ensure the effective adoption of digital systems across Nigeria’s public service.

Lokpobiri made the call on Wednesday in Abuja during the inauguration of the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.

He cautioned that despite the Federal Government’s push for digitalisation, many public officials still rely heavily on manual work processes.

His remarks followed a recent admission by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who told journalists on Tuesday that he was still adjusting to the government’s new digital workflow and would require further training to operate efficiently within the system.

“There are a lot of analogue civil servants. There are also a lot of analogue ministers that you need to train so that this thing will be used by everyone,” Lokpobiri said.

He added, “Some people are not technology-savvy, so you need to train everybody to maximise the opportunities available.”

The ECMS, hosted on the 1Gov Cloud platform, is designed to eliminate paper-based operations by introducing electronic approvals, automated workflows and secure digital record management. The system is expected to reduce delays caused by the physical movement of files between offices.

Describing the initiative as a major shift, Lokpobiri said Nigeria’s dependence on manual processes had for years slowed governance and raised operational costs.

“One of our major challenges has been the analogue way of doing things. Sometimes, to get simple documentation approved, people have to travel physically, even outside the country, just to sign papers. Sometimes it takes weeks,” he said.

“This initiative changes that narrative and aligns Nigeria with global best practices.”

He also commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for championing the reform, noting that stronger digital systems would improve institutional efficiency, optimise resource use and enhance value creation in the oil and gas sector through better information management.

Speaking at the event, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said the ECMS deployment positions the petroleum ministry to meet the Federal Government’s directive for full digitalisation of work processes by December 31, 2025.

According to her, the initiative supports President Bola Tinubu’s public service reform agenda, aimed at building a more efficient, accountable and technology-driven civil service.

“This initiative strengthens the effectiveness of the public service by enabling faster work processes, secure record management and reduced reliance on paper,” Walson-Jack said.

“For a ministry that plays a strategic role in Nigeria’s economic stability and energy security, this milestone is both timely and significant.”

She explained that the ministry’s operational efficiency has direct implications for revenue generation, investor confidence and national planning, adding that manual systems are no longer adequate for a sector that interacts constantly with regulators, operators and other government agencies.

Walson-Jack noted that the ECMS would provide secure records, clear audit trails, efficient workflows and a reliable institutional memory across the Federal Civil Service.

She added that the rollout supports Pillar Five of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, which focuses on digital transformation across ministries, departments and agencies.

“Digital transformation does not end with the launch of a system. Its success depends on consistent use, adherence to established processes and sustained digital discipline,” she said, urging officials to fully adopt paperless operations and use approved digital channels for official correspondence.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs Patience Oyekunle, described the launch as a clear move away from manual procedures to a modern digital framework that would improve efficiency, transparency and service delivery.

She said the initiative reflects ongoing public service reforms driven by the Federal Government and praised the Head of Service for the leadership that enabled its implementation.

The ECMS rollout comes amid broader efforts by the Federal Government to modernise governance, reduce bureaucratic delays and enhance service delivery across MDAs, with the petroleum ministry now joining a growing number of institutions operating on fully digital platforms.