Joseph Bakare
The Ministry of Petroleum Resources has unveiled plans to fully automate its operations, setting the stage for paperless interactions across its departments as part of a push to improve efficiency, transparency, and service delivery in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
The initiative coming under the federal government’s Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system “Go Live”, will digitise internal workflows, approvals and correspondence, while also migrating engagements with operators, regulators, and other stakeholders to secure electronic platforms.
The move was expected to reduce bureaucratic delays, minimise human discretion in routine processes, and cut operational costs associated with manual documentation.
Speaking during the launch in Abuja, Minister of State, Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, said the project, a brainchild of the Head of Service of the Federation (HOSF), was a bold initiative.
Lokpobiri stressed that it will ensure that government business was done in a seamless manner.
According to him, apart from being transformational, changing from analogue to digital processes, it will also enhance the way communication is carried out in the petroleum ministry.
Supported by Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB), Nigeria’s national digital infrastructure and shared ICT provider, Lokpobiri stated that rather than some departments and agencies paying for flights to get documents signed, they could now be carried out seamlessly online.
“And so this is one initiative that is transformative. This is one initiative that aligns with the general public and the world. I think this should have come perhaps 10, 15 years ago. But I’m very proud that this is coming from the organisation,” Lokpobiri said.
Describing the petroleum sector as the most critical sector “in our national life”, Lokpobiri stated that if the oil and gas sector was successful, then every other sector will feel the impact.
In her keynote, the Head of Service of the Federation, Didi Walson-Jack, explained that the initiative strengthened the effectiveness of the public service by enabling faster work processes, secure record management, and reduced reliance on paper.
For a ministry that played a strategic role in Nigeria’s economic stability and energy security, Walson-Jack said the milestone was both timely and significant.
She stated, “The Ministry of Petroleum Resources occupies a critical position in national development, with responsibility for policy formulation, coordination, and oversight in the oil and gas sector. Its efficiency directly impacts revenue generation, investment confidence, and national planning.
“Today’s launch, therefore, represents a deliberate shift in how work is organised, records are managed, and decisions are supported. Given the ministry’s constant engagement with regulatory agencies, operators, and other Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, manual processes can no longer meet operational demands.”
With the deployment, Walson-Jack stated that the ministry joined institutions across the Federal Civil Service using the Enterprise Content Management System, ensuring secure records, clear audit trails, efficient workflows, and reliable institutional memory.
Deployed on the 1Gov Cloud platform, she explained that ECMS enabled electronic approvals, automated workflows, and interoperability across government, shifting decision-making from the movement of files to timely access to accurate information.
She added, “This development places the ministry on track to comply with the federal government’s directive on the full digitalisation of work processes by 31 December 2025 and advances Pillar Five of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), which prioritises digitalisation across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.”
However, Walson-Jack said digital transformation did not end with the launch of a system, stressing that its success depends on consistent use, adherence to established processes, and sustained digital discipline.
According to her, “Going forward, paper-based processing within the Ministry of Petroleum Resources should progressively give way to disciplined digital practice, with official correspondence routed through registry.ops@
Earlier, Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Patience Oyekunle, said the event signified the transition from manual, paper-based processes to a modern digital platform that will enhance efficiency, transparency, and service delivery.
“This achievement aligns with the ongoing public service reforms championed by the federal government,” Oyekunle stressed.