Nigeria’s Civil Service Paperless Says FG

In a significant shift toward modern governance, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has announced the successful transition of all federal ministries to a fully digital, paperless system.

This overhaul eliminates the need for physical documents in government operations, supported by the creation of over 100,000 official email accounts on the GovMail platform.

This initiative ensures that civil servants utilize secure, professional, and verifiable communication channels.

Moving forward, federal ministries will no longer process physical mail; instead, all official correspondence must be submitted as scanned documents via designated email addresses.

This digital expansion currently covers 38 Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments (MEMDs), including key offices such as the State House, the Office of the Accountant-General, and the Federal Civil Service Commission.

To explain the impact of this transition, Walson-Jack said, “This strengthens sovereignty over official correspondence, enhances responsiveness across MDAs, and reduces reliance on unofficial communication channels.

“Additionally, GovMail is saving the Federal Government billions of Naira annually by reducing dependence on fragmented, agency-specific external email subscriptions and licenses, delivering better value-for-money.

“Engagements are ongoing with telecommunications providers to make online access more affordable for Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments and to enhance the reliability of connectivity needed for digital workflows.

“At the same time, a sustainable pricing model is being created to keep digitalisation platforms affordable, scalable, and maintainable over the long term, ensuring service continuity and value-for-money for the government.

“To consolidate these gains and end the culture of paper-based bureaucracy, the 38 Federal Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments will no longer accept paper submissions through their physical registries.

“All correspondence to the MEMDs should now be sent to the official registry email addresses, which can be found on the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation website.

“Citizens can also now track their correspondence with individual MEMDs through the Federal Civil Service Paperless portal. In simple terms, a paperless Civil Service means that Citizens and the International Community no longer need to send traditional paper letters with envelopes to communicate with the Federal Civil Service.

“Instead, a scanned letter sent via email or correspondence, with attachments from a personal or organisational email address, to any MEMD would be sufficient.”