FG Urges States to Deepen Public Service Reforms, Strengthen Digital Transformation
By Aluta News
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, has called on state governments across Nigeria to adopt and replicate the public service reform initiatives being implemented by the Federal Government to enhance governance and service delivery.
In a statement signed by Aliyu Umar Aliyu, Head of Strategic Communications BPSR on Friday in
Abuja,
Arabi made the call on Friday in Abuja shortly after receiving a delegation from the Edo State Civil Service, led by the Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa, who paid an official visit to the Bureau to understudy its reform initiatives and explore areas of collaboration.
The BPSR Director-General explained that the Federal Government, under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is repositioning the Nigerian public service through strategic reforms, particularly digital transformation aimed at improving efficiency, transparency, and accountability.
According to him, it is critical for subnational governments to key into the reform agenda to ensure nationwide impact.
“Whatever we do at the federal level, if it is not cascaded down to the states, we will not succeed,” Arabi said.
He noted that available data indicates that the Federal Government employs between 2.7 million and 2.9 million workers, a relatively small proportion compared to the country’s estimated population of over 220 million people.
“This means that a greater percentage of Nigerians are served through state and local government structures. That is why it is important for states to domesticate and implement public service reforms,” he added.
Arabi explained that the Bureau is currently engaging stakeholders across the federation to encourage state governments to establish their own bureaus of public service reforms in line with the directive of President Tinubu.
He emphasised that the initiative aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which places a strong premium on improving governance systems and strengthening institutional capacity.
The Director-General further revealed that BPSR is working with critical stakeholders to promote the adoption of digital technologies that enhance transparency and accountability in public institutions.
He said digitalisation of government processes would significantly reduce the cost of governance while enabling citizens to track government activities more efficiently.
Arabi also commended the Governor of Edo State, Monday Okpebholo, for demonstrating commitment to public service reform by sending a high-level delegation to the Bureau for knowledge sharing and institutional learning.
“We are already seeing results from some of the interventions, but we encourage states to do more and key into reforms, especially around the digitalisation of processes,” he said.
Earlier in his remarks, the Edo State Head of Service, Dr. Okungbowa, said the delegation’s visit to the Bureau was aimed at strengthening collaboration and learning from the Federal Government’s reform initiatives.
He conveyed the appreciation of Governor Okpebholo, the government, and the people of Edo State for the opportunity to engage with the Bureau.
According to him, the visit aligns with the state government’s vision to build a modern, efficient, and technology-driven civil service capable of delivering quality services to citizens.
Okungbowa highlighted that the Edo State Government had launched the Edo State Public Service Retooling and Enhancement Programme (Edo-PREP), a comprehensive 38-module reform initiative designed to modernise the civil service.
He explained that the programme focuses on key areas including e-governance, strategic planning, development of in-service technology experts, service culture enhancement, mentorship programmes, and the establishment of a public service digital library.
A major component of the reform initiative, he said, is the EdoCloud digital governance platform, also known as Edo-Gov 2.0.
Okungbowa explained that the platform was developed following a comprehensive review of earlier digitalisation efforts in the state and is fully owned and managed by the Edo State Government.
Unlike previous systems that relied heavily on external vendors, EdoCloud guarantees full data sovereignty and is designed to be scalable, secure, and user-friendly.
He disclosed that the state recently trained over 200 digital champions drawn from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to drive the implementation of the new system across government institutions.
According to him, the digital transformation initiative will significantly improve efficiency by reducing bureaucratic delays in file movement and approvals, cutting operational costs, strengthening transparency, and enhancing collaboration among MDAs.
He added that the reforms are already producing measurable outcomes and align with both the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Edo State’s development vision.
Okungbowa reiterated the state government’s commitment to sustaining public service reforms and strengthening partnerships with the Bureau to build a modern, transparent, and citizen-centred public service.
He also invited the leadership of the Bureau to visit Edo State to witness the ongoing reforms, including the upcoming deployment of a home-grown Attendance Management Platform across MDAs.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and advancing public service transformation in Nigeria.
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