The Federal Government has launched the Human Resource Modules of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), introducing a fully digital platform that will automate staff postings, promotions, leave applications and other personnel processes across the Federal Civil Service.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said the initiative marks a major step in the government’s efforts to build a modern, efficient and technology-driven public service in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking at the IPPIS Go-Live Ceremony in Abuja on Monday, Walson-Jack said the new platform would replace manual human resource processes with an integrated digital system covering the entire employee lifecycle.
“We are not just unveiling a digital platform; we are institutionalising a better way of managing our most important resource—our people,” she said.
According to her, the platform will manage biometric enrolment, employee onboarding, payroll administration, staff mobility, promotions, leave management, reporting and data analytics for the 508 ministries, extra-ministerial departments and agencies currently enrolled on the IPPIS.
Declaring an end to manual influence over staff postings, Walson-Jack said deployment decisions would now be driven by the digital system rather than personal lobbying.
“‘Post me here, post me there. I want a juicy posting’—no more. It is now digitalised,” she said, adding, “No more lobbying for postings.”
She explained that integrating personnel functions into a single platform would eliminate duplication, improve the accuracy of employee records, reduce administrative delays and strengthen transparency through automated approvals, standardised workflows and reliable audit trails.
The employee self-service module, she added, will enable civil servants to securely access and update their records, reducing paperwork and improving efficiency.
“This is the true value of digital transformation—simpler processes, faster services, better information and greater accountability. Technology must make the work of civil servants easier and strengthen government’s capacity to serve Nigerians,” she said.
Walson-Jack disclosed that the transition from the Oracle Electronic Business Suite followed extensive testing and technical evaluations, noting that the new platform was developed entirely by Nigerians.
“Significantly, this solution was built by Nigerians for Nigerians,” she said, describing it as a practical demonstration of the Federal Government’s Nigeria First policy.
She urged ministries, departments and agencies to embrace the platform fully, warning that digital transformation would only succeed if users abandoned outdated bureaucratic practices.
“We cannot adopt new technology while retaining inefficient processes. The platform must not become an electronic version of old bureaucracy. Processes must be simplified, responsibilities clearly defined and unnecessary delays eliminated,” she said.
Also speaking, the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, said IPPIS, which began in 2007 with seven pilot MDAs, now covers 508 MDAs and more than 1,008,800 employee records.
He described the introduction of the HR modules as “a natural progression” from payroll administration to a comprehensive digital human capital management system.
According to Ogunjimi, integrating human resource management with payroll administration will strengthen fiscal discipline, improve workforce planning and enhance transparency in public financial management.
Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission, Prof. Tunji Olaopa, described IPPIS as one of Nigeria’s most successful public sector reforms, noting that it had eliminated ghost workers and centralised personnel records.
He said the new HR modules would enable civil servants to manage their records, apply for annual leave online, monitor promotions and disciplinary processes, while also supporting data-driven workforce planning.
The Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Nkiruka Jones-Nebo, described the launch as another milestone in the government’s public service reform agenda.
She said the successful implementation of the platform would depend on the commitment of permanent secretaries and accounting officers to drive adoption across ministries and extra-ministerial departments.
Jones-Nebo urged directors of human resource management, IPPIS desk officers, information technology officers and other stakeholders to serve as key implementers and change champions to ensure effective utilisation of the platform.
Managing Director of SoftAlliance and Resources Limited, Dr. Bisi Aina, whose company developed the platform, said the launch culminated a 15-year digital transformation journey that has evolved IPPIS from a payroll management system into a comprehensive human capital management platform.
He said the indigenous solution would reduce dependence on foreign software, minimise exposure to foreign exchange volatility and ensure that sensitive government personnel data remained securely under Nigerian control.
The Federal Government added that the platform would provide the foundation for future integration with other government systems, advanced analytics and predictive workforce planning as part of efforts to build a more efficient, transparent and globally competitive Federal Civil Service.
