By Abdullahi Lukman
The Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation has launched the 1GOV Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) to digitise its operations and improve service delivery, marking a shift from paper-based processes to an integrated digital platform.
The system was unveiled in Abuja as part of the Federal Government’s broader digital governance reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The 1GOV ECMS is designed to enhance efficiency, transparency and accountability through secure digital records, automated workflows and electronic approvals.
In a statement issued by Mrs. Funmi Imuetinyan, Director, Information and Public Relations, on 18 December 2025, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev, said the deployment would transform the Ministry into a technology-driven institution, improve productivity, reduce operational costs and preserve institutional memory.
He noted that effective data and document management is critical to the Ministry’s technical mandate.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who formally launched the platform, described the initiative as a major step in modern public administration.
She said the system supports real-time collaboration and interoperability across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (2021–2025), which mandates full digitalisation of work processes by December 2025.
She directed that all official correspondence in the Ministry should henceforth be processed through approved digital registry channels, adding that the Ministry has met its digitalisation deliverables under the federal civil service reform framework.
In her remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Emanso Umobong, said the ECMS would eliminate workflow delays, prevent document loss and strengthen accountability, urging staff to fully adopt the system and commit to continuous capacity building.
The Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone Limited, represented by Mr. Akintayo Ayodele-Bamisaye, described the go-live as a milestone toward a paperless public service, while a technical presentation highlighted the role of the platform in improving document traceability and safeguarding government information.
Senior government officials, including the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Civil Service Matters, Mr. Alfred Abah, management staff of the Ministry and representatives of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, attended the event.