The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, has called on the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to prioritise capacity-building for ministers and civil servants to ensure the success of Nigeria’s transition to a fully digital public service.

Lokpobiri made the appeal on Wednesday in Abuja during the launch of the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) at the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, noting that many public officials still operate in “analogue” mode despite the Federal Government’s digitalisation drive.

His call follows comments by the Minister of Works, David Umahi, who on Tuesday acknowledged struggling to adapt fully to new digital processes and requiring further training to work effectively within the system.

“There are a lot of analogue civil servants and ministers who need training so that the system will be used by everyone,” Lokpobiri said. “Some people are not technology-savvy, so training is essential to maximise the opportunities available.”

The ECMS, deployed on the 1Gov Cloud platform, is designed to replace manual, paper-based processes with electronic approvals, automated workflows, and secure digital record-keeping, significantly reducing delays associated with file movement across offices.

Describing the initiative as transformative, Lokpobiri noted that Nigeria has long relied on cumbersome manual processes that slow decision-making and increase 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 abroad, just to sign papers. It can take weeks. This initiative changes that narrative and aligns Nigeria with global best practices,” he said.

He commended the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for driving the reform, highlighting that digital systems would strengthen institutions, optimise resource utilisation, and unlock greater value across the oil and gas sector through efficient information management and record-keeping.

In her address, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said the ECMS deployment places the Ministry of Petroleum Resources on track to meet the Federal Government’s directive for full digitalisation of work processes by December 31, 2025. She explained that the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s public service reform agenda, aimed at building an efficient, accountable, and digitally enabled civil service capable of translating policy into results.

“This initiative enhances 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 critical to Nigeria’s economic stability and energy security, this milestone is both timely and significant.”

She added that the petroleum ministry’s efficiency directly affects revenue generation, investment confidence, and national planning, emphasising that manual processes can no longer meet the demands of a sector that interacts constantly with regulators, operators, and other government agencies. According to her, the ECMS ensures secure records, clear audit trails, efficient workflows, and reliable institutional memory across the Federal Civil Service.

Walson-Jack noted that the deployment advances Pillar Five of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025, which prioritises digitalisation across ministries, departments, and agencies. “Digital transformation does not end with launching a system. Its success depends on consistent use, adherence to established processes, and sustained digital discipline,” she said, urging officials to adopt paperless operations and route official correspondence through designated digital channels.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Patience Oyekunle, described the launch as a decisive step from manual processes to a modern digital platform that will improve efficiency, transparency, and service delivery. She commended the Head of Service for providing strategic leadership that made the deployment possible.

The ECMS rollout comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to modernise governance, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, and enhance service delivery, with the petroleum ministry joining a growing number of institutions operating on a paperless platform.