Borno to domesticate FG’s digital innovation initiative for improved civil service

By Usman Abubakar Maiduguri

Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State has promised to domesticate the federal government’s digital innovation programmes to enhance efficiency and reposition civil service operations in the state.

Governor Zulum made the promise while responding to the request by the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, on Wednesday, during a courtesy visit at the Government House, Maiduguri.

He remarked that he has followed with keen interest the digital revolution and the new standard set in the civil service under her watch, stressing the need for continued professional development of civil servants, which for a very long period of time has not been effective.

“You enumerated a number of innovative programmes, especially on digitization of the civil service, you talk about Service-Wise GPT and online compendium of federal government circulars and federal civil service academy for training of staff, and service welfare newsletters. I want to assure you that most of these items that you mentioned shall be domesticated at the state level, so that we can have effective vertical and horizontal coordination,” he announced.

The governor urged the Head of Service to uplift the standard of some renowned institutions under the federal civil service, especially particularly the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) and other institutions meant for training to harness their potentials, adding the state is willing to send some of its staff for training.

He said the state government has been supportive to the staff and institutions of the federal government domiciled in the state capital, Maiduguri.

“We have built houses and allocated them to heads of federal civil service in Borno. I will send the allocation letters to your office so that the federal government will owned the houses not the occupants,” he stated

Earlier, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack commended governor Zulum for implementing the N70,000 minimum wage and  the public sector health insurance scheme.

“I’m privileged to see firsthand your development stride, especially in infrastructure in education and other sectors, these interventions speak volumes. They reflect our shared commitments to our healthier, stronger and more productive work force, and a healthier citizenry. They are investments, not just infrastructure but in people,” Walson-Jack stated.