The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Didi Esther Walson-Jack, has called for deeper digital integration, interoperability, and data sharing across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to enhance governance, improve service delivery, and accelerate national development.
Mrs. Walson-Jack made the call while delivering the keynote address at the Digital Transformation Summit 2026, the flagship annual event of Galaxy Backbone Limited, held in Abuja.
The summit, themed “Connecting Government for National Growth: Driving Digitalisation Across MDAs for a More Efficient and Connected Nigeria,” was formally declared open by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
According to the Director of Press and Public Relations, Mrs. Eno Olotu, the event attracted senior government officials, heads of MDAs, development partners, technology experts, innovators, private sector stakeholders, and public servants to explore how digital transformation can strengthen governance and drive national development.
In her address, the HCSF stressed that digitalisation is no longer an optional innovation but a critical requirement for effective governance, institutional efficiency, accountability, and sustainable growth. She noted that digital technologies are central to building a productive, transparent, and citizen-focused Public Service.
Mrs. Walson-Jack highlighted the progress made in the ongoing digital transformation of the Federal Civil Service, citing the successful digitisation of work processes across Ministries and Extra-Ministerial Departments as evidence of the Service’s ability to embrace reform, innovation, and improved service delivery.
She emphasised that integrated digital platforms, interoperability, and responsible data sharing among government institutions are essential to reducing duplication, improving planning, strengthening policy implementation, and ensuring seamless service delivery to citizens and businesses.
The HCSF reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Civil Service to supporting the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through innovation, digitalisation, performance management, and institutional strengthening. According to her, a digitally enabled and performance-driven Civil Service remains critical to achieving Nigeria’s development objectives.
Commending Galaxy Backbone Limited for its contributions to the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda, Mrs. Walson-Jack acknowledged the organisation’s role in providing key digital infrastructure, including the 1Government Cloud, GovMail platform, secure connectivity services, and other technology solutions that facilitate efficient and coordinated governance.
She disclosed that more than 115,000 active GovMail accounts are currently being used across the Public Service, helping to strengthen secure, professional, and institutionally owned communication channels.
The HCSF also highlighted the impact of Service-Wise GPT, the Federal Civil Service’s homegrown digital knowledge assistant, revealing that the platform has recorded over 50,000 engagements. The tool provides public servants and other users with easy access to Public Service Rules, circulars, and other government information.
The summit featured high-level discussions on digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, interoperability, innovation, and strategies for building a more connected, efficient, and responsive government capable of driving sustainable national growth.