The Federal Government has switched on a fully digital human resources platform designed to automate staff movements, career advancements, leave requests and other personnel matters across Nigeria's civil service.
The Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) launched its HR modules at a ceremony in Abuja on Monday, marking what officials say is a crucial step toward modernising the public sector. The head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs.
Didi Esther Walson-Jack, called it far more than just new software.
"We are not just unveiling a digital platform, but institutionalising a better way of managing our most important resource, which is our people, our employees," she said. The shift aligns with President Bola Tinubu's Renewed Hope Agenda, she added.
The old system relied on manual processes that often invited patronage and backroom dealings. Walson-Jack made that point directly, referencing the practice of officers seeking choice postings through personal connections.
"Post me here, post me there. I want a juicy posting, no more.
It is now digitalised," she said. "No more lobbying for posting."
The platform now handles biometric registration, staff onboarding, payroll, employee transfers, records management, reporting and data analysis across 508 federal ministries, departments and agencies. The system serves more than 1 million civil servants.
Consolidating these functions into one digital space should cut paperwork, slash errors, speed up approvals and create clear audit trails for accountability. A self-service feature lets employees securely access and update their own information without requesting it from administrators.
"This is the true value of digital transformation. Simpler processes, faster services, better information and greater accountability," Walson-Jack told reporters.
"Technology must make the work of civil servants easier and strengthen the capacity of government to serve Nigerians."
The transition from the old Oracle Electronic Business Suite followed extensive testing. Notably, Nigerians developed the software, Walson-Jack stressed, framing it as evidence of the Nigeria First policy in action.
"Significantly, this solution was built by Nigerians for Nigerians," she said.
However, the head of service warned that new technology won't fix problems on its own. Ministries must change how they work, not just how they process paperwork.
"We cannot adopt new technology while retaining inefficient practices," Walson-Jack said. "The platform must not become an electronic version of old bureaucracy.
Processes must be simplified, responsibilities clearly defined and unnecessary delays eliminated."
Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, the Accountant-General of the Federation, noted that IPPIS started in 2007 with just seven pilot agencies. The system has since expanded dramatically to cover hundreds of organisations and handle payroll for over 1 million staff members across government.
