ABUJA, Nigeria (Chatnewstv.com) — Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior has gone paperless with the launch of an 8.3-petabyte e-workflow hub, a move officials say will transform government operations and boost data security.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo announced the transition Monday in Abuja during the commissioning of the ministry’s ICT Room and the unveiling of the Interior Electronic Records and Archiving System (INTERAS), part of the federal government’s Enterprise Content Management initiative.
“For us in the Ministry of Interior, this is only the beginning. We will not stop until the ministry is fully automated and all its agencies are integrated into INTERAS,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The minister said the platform, hosted on a Tier-4 data center powered by solar energy, would ensure efficiency, sustainability and secure ownership of government data.
“This is the culture we are building — a private sector mindset in the public sector, anchored not on individuals but on strong institutions,” he said.
Agencies already linked to INTERAS include the Citizenship and Business Department, which now processes citizenship, business permits and marriage licenses online. The Nigeria Immigration Service has also adopted the platform to issue electronic residence permits and strengthen border surveillance with the UN-mandated Advanced Passenger Information System.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Didi Esther Walson-Jack called the launch a milestone in public sector reform.
“By steering the Ministry of Interior to become the 18th ministry to go live on the ECM platform, you have proven that with vision, teamwork and commitment, digital transformation is achievable,” she said.
Permanent Secretary Magdalene Ajani described the system as a “policy watershed” that will enhance accountability and continuity in government.
“In administrative parlance, INTERAS is an institutional innovation that will serve as a framework for efficiency,” Ajani said. “This landmark is a reminder that great institutions are built by foresight, not by chance.”
Tunji-Ojo said the ministry’s shift to digital operations comes months ahead of the federal civil service deadline of Dec. 31 for going paperless.
