Nigeria is pushing ahead with plans to eliminate paper from its civil service by 2030, but the ambitious digitalization drive faces a major hurdle: a lack of necessary skills among government employees.

The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, a Nigerian organization championing public sector transformation, has partnered with Microsoft to bolster the digital skills of civil servants across the country.

Formalized on January 19 through the Wootlab Foundation, the collaboration supports Nigeria's ambitious goal of a tech-savvy public sector ready for the digital age.

"This partnership signifies our joint commitment to crafting impactful training programs that bridge the digital divide and drive positive transformations," said the Wootlab Foundation. "Together, we are embarking on an extensive training initiative that will redefine skill development and ensure a workforce well-equipped for the digital future."

This recent collaboration is part of a strategic initiative by OHCSF to ready the public sector workforce for the digital era. The initiative follows the implementation of an enterprise content management solution (ECMS), supported by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, aimed at empowering all work processes. The partnership aligns with the federal government’s goal to train all civil servants in the country in digital skills.

Under this cooperation, the Wootlab Foundation will facilitate the provision of on-demand digital skills for government employees, enabling them to contribute to the digitization of vital public services and stimulate ongoing innovation within the civil service.

It’s noteworthy that Nigeria, through this initiative and others, aims to rank its civil service among the world’s top 20 by 2025 and achieve complete digitization by 2030.

Samira Njoya