The Federal Government has called on state governments across the country to adopt and replicate ongoing public service reform initiatives aimed at improving governance and service delivery.
The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi, made the call on Friday in Abuja while receiving a delegation from the Edo State Civil Service led by the Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa.
The delegation visited the Bureau to understudy its reform initiatives and explore areas of collaboration aimed at strengthening institutional capacity in the state’s public service.
Arabi said the Federal Government, under the leadership of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is repositioning the Nigerian public service through strategic reforms, particularly digital transformation designed to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability in governance.
He stressed the need for subnational governments to align with the federal reform agenda to ensure its impact is felt across the country.
“Whatever we do at the federal level, if it is not cascaded down to the states, we will not succeed,” Arabi said.
According to him, data indicates that the Federal Government employs between 2.7 million and 2.9 million workers, a relatively small proportion compared with the country’s estimated population of over 220 million people.
He noted that most Nigerians access government services through state and local government structures, making it essential for states to domesticate and implement public service reforms.
Arabi also disclosed that the Bureau is engaging stakeholders nationwide to encourage states to establish their own bureaus of public service reforms in line with the directive of President Tinubu.
He explained that the initiative aligns with the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises improved governance systems and stronger institutional capacity.
The BPSR Director-General added that the Bureau is working with key stakeholders to promote the adoption of digital technologies that will enhance transparency and accountability in public institutions.
According to him, the digitalisation of government processes will 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, Okungbowa said the delegation’s visit was aimed at strengthening collaboration with the Bureau and learning from the Federal Government’s reform initiatives.
He conveyed the appreciation of Governor Okpebholo, the state government and the people of Edo 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 said the state government had launched the Edo State Public Service Retooling and Enhancement Programme (Edo-PREP), a 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 key component of the reform initiative, he said, is the EdoCloud digital governance platform, also known as Edo-Gov 2.0.
According to him, the platform was developed after 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, Okungbowa said EdoCloud guarantees full data sovereignty and is designed to be scalable, secure and user-friendly.
He added that the state recently trained over 200 digital champions drawn from Ministries, Departments and Agencies to drive the implementation of the new system across government institutions.
Okungbowa said the digital transformation initiative would 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.
Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continued collaboration aimed at strengthening institutional capacity and advancing public service transformation in Nigeria.