The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HoCSF), Mrs Esther Didi Walson-Jack, has inaugurated an 11-member Technical Working Committee (TWC) to coordinate the implementation of the Federal Executive Council-approved digital transformation agenda for the Federal Civil Service.
The committee, chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Deborah Odoh, is tasked with developing the architecture, roadmap and governance framework needed to establish a more connected, efficient, secure and citizen-focused digital operating environment across the Service.
Speaking at the inauguration, Walson-Jack described the initiative as a significant milestone in the ongoing reform of the Federal Civil Service.
She said the committee was constituted following the approval by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the Federal Civil Service Digital Transformation Progress Report, which assigned key responsibilities to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) and required coordinated action across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to her, the digital transformation agenda must go beyond policy formulation and deliver measurable improvements in government processes and service delivery.
Walson-Jack said the Federal Civil Service must move away from fragmented digital initiatives and establish a coordinated, government-wide digital ecosystem that allows information to flow securely, simplifies processes and empowers public servants to work more efficiently.
She charged the committee to develop a comprehensive implementation framework and roadmap for the expansion, adoption and sustainability of digitalisation across the Federal Civil Service.
The framework, she said, should address policy, governance, institutional coordination, interoperability, cybersecurity, financing, digital readiness, capacity development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation.
The Head of Service also stressed that the success of the initiative would depend not only on technology but equally on people, processes and institutional culture.
She called for adequate training and support for public servants to enable them to effectively adopt and use digital tools in carrying out their responsibilities.
Walson-Jack said the initiative was aligned with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s broader vision of building a professional, world-class and digitally enabled civil service capable of supporting national development and delivering the Renewed Hope Agenda.
Responding on behalf of the committee, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Nadungu Gagare, described the assignment as strategic and timely.
Gagare assured that members would deploy their expertise and experience to develop a practical, sustainable and inclusive framework in collaboration with relevant MDAs and other stakeholders.
The committee is expected to submit its first report within one week. The report will form the basis for constituting a Steering Committee, to be chaired by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, which will provide strategic oversight for the implementation of the digital transformation agenda.
