The Ministry of Interior has described the launch of the Electronic Records and Archiving System (IntERAS) as Mobile On Move Offices to end paper work.
During the official launch on Monday in Abuja by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said all is now set for the Ministry to run a mobile and on-the-move offices for its activities and operations.
With the launch, the ministry has beaten the Federal Civil Service December 2025 deadline for MDAs to go paperless by automating their activities and operations.
The Minister explained that the system will be replicated in all the government agencies under the ministry.
"I am extremely delighted to be here today. This is 2025, not 1975. Technology must play its role in governance. You cannot run any process without catalysts, and technology is that catalyst which speeds up the rate of progress.
"I have always maintained that technology will never replace human capacity, but it will enhance it and make us more efficient.
"As an IT person myself, I fully understand the value of IntERAS. My policy has always been that no file stays overnight on my desk.
"With this system, I can now work on the move, run a mobile office, and process documents faster and more efficiently." he said
According to the Minister, the Citizenship and Business Department is now fully automated.
"You apply online for citizenship, business permits, or even marriage licenses. No more paperwork. Similarly, quota administration is now fraud-proof through harmonized data with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
"Today, we issue electronic SEPAC instead of manual forms that once forced applicants to travel across local governments just to make purchases.
"We also built an 8.3 petabyte, Tier-4 data center to ensure government retains ownership of its data, powered by solar for sustainability."
Already, he said the Nigerian borders are now monitored with advanced surveillance saying that with the United Nations-mandated Advanced Passenger Information System, immigration officers nowknow who is entering Nigeria before they arrive at the entry points.
Also, he said profiling of visitors to the country is no longer subjective, but now objective as well as data-driven.
Dr Tunji-Ojo maintained that the Federal Fire Service has also been automated to monitor response times with verifiable data.
The Minister commended President Bola Tinubu for his support, noting that the President has never turned down any memo relating to public service transformation.
"That is what strategic leadership looks like."
According to him, the Ministry will not stop until it is fully automated and all its agencies are integrated into IntERAS.
The Minister commended the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, the directors and other key staff of the Ministry for the feat.
"Contrary to the stereotype some people have about civil servants, my experience in the last two years has shown that the Ministry of Interior is blessed with some of the best people in public service.
"The transformation you see here today is not funded by government allocations, but by the dedication and sacrifice of our officers who worked sleepless nights to deliver." he stated
Dr. Tunji-Ojo also appreciated the consultants, including the team from Zimedi, who helped to raise the Ministry’s performance index from 62% to 85%.
"Together, we will continue to transform the Ministry of Interior into a model of efficiency, transparency, and digital excellence."
In her goodwill message, Mrs Walson-Jack, urged other MDAs to key into the digitization process.
"By steering the Ministry of Interior to become the 18th ministry to go live on the ECM platform, you have proven that with vision, teamwork, and commitment, digital transformation is achievable.
"This is no small feat, and I applaud you and your entire team with pride and admiration. Honourable Minister, I can confidently say: eighteen done, twenty to go. The December 31 deadline for a paperless civil service is indeed feasible.
"His Excellency has been unequivocal in his desire for a public service that is efficient, transparent, and digitally enabled."
She urged all MDAs yet to comply to do so saying; "Let me use this moment to send a clear message to other ministries and extra-ministerial departments: if the Ministry of Interior can do it, so can you.
"Time is ticking, December 31 is around the corner. Get on board now, or risk being left behind."
She commended the Minister and the permanent secretary,
Dr. Magdalene Ajani for driving efficiency in service delivery.
"Under your dynamic and reform-minded leadership, the Ministry of Interior has become a model of innovation and efficiency in the public service.
"You have demonstrated vision in digital reforms, modernizing passport issuance, streamlining visa and residence permit applications, and strengthening border management systems.
"These efforts have touched millions of lives directly, including ours, when guests from outside the country were able to obtain visas seamlessly and in record time," she noted.
But she urged the ministry to also ensure that the Performance Management System (PMS) is automated in the ministry.
In her welcome address earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, disclosed that it took the Ministry nine months to complete work on the IntERAS.
The Ministrysaid also commissioned it's ICT Room.