The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, says the implementation of the Enterprise Content Management (ECM) System has strengthened efficiency and transparency in the ministry.

Mr Ata said this during the first anniversary of the implementation of the ECM System and the launch of the ministry’s performance management system (PMS) in Abuja on Wednesday.

The minister said the occasion was not merely a celebration of one year but a recognition of the ministry’s collective commitment to transforming how information was created, managed, shared, secured and preserved.

According to him, the introduction of ECM had improved access to information, reduced dependence on physical documents, enhanced records management and supported faster workflows.

“The introduction of enterprise content management has strengthened our efforts toward a more efficient, transparent and digitally enabled public service.

“The introduction improved access to information, reducing dependency on physical documents, enhancing records management and supporting faster workflows.

“ECM is contributing significantly to our vision of a modern and responsive ministry in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he said.

The minister commended the ministry’s management, staff members, ICT department, technical team and other stakeholders for their contributions to the progress recorded during the first year.

He encouraged staff members to fully embrace the system and continue building the capacity required to maximise its effectiveness.

He also urged them to take ownership of the performance management system and make it an integral part of their daily operations.

Representing the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office, Danjuma Kalba, congratulated the ministry on the milestone.

Mr Kalba said the ECM initiative demonstrated what could be achieved when leadership provided policy direction, institutions took ownership and public servants embraced innovation.

He said the occasion was not simply about celebrating one year of a digital system but one year of institutional change.

“The ECM initiative demonstrates that when leadership provides direction, institutions take ownership and public servants embrace innovation, technology can fundamentally transform the way government works.

“Digital transformation is therefore not merely about acquiring technology; it is about changing how we work,” he said.

According to him, the achievement was significant within the broader digital transformation agenda of the federal civil service.

He encouraged the ministry to make its second year of implementation one of deeper adoption, wider integration and stronger digital competencies.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of FMHUD, Shuaib Belgore, said the ministry commenced full implementation of ECM on September 30, 2025, following an earlier pilot phase.

Mr Belgore said the initiative marked a decisive shift from predominantly paper-based processes to a more digital, efficient and responsive working environment.

According to him, the ministry’s transition toward paperless operations had contributed to savings of more than N400 million annually.

He stated, “ECM has reduced our dependence on physical files, strengthened document tracking and accessibility and supported faster decision making.

“The adoption of ECM has further supported our transition toward paperless operations, contributing to savings of more than N400 million annually in the procurement of stationery, among others.”

Mr Belgore disclosed that more than 90 desktop computers and 30 laptops were distributed to departments in February 2026.

The permanent secretary said the ministry’s focus would now shift from adoption to optimisation of the system.

Also speaking, the Head of the Information and Communication Technology Department, Amiolemen Osagie, said 1,200 staff members had been onboarded onto the ECM platform.

He disclosed that 6,018 legacy files containing 80,224 documents and 669,108 pages had been digitised and stored on the ECM database.

According to him, the system had improved document accessibility and retrieval, movement and tracking of official documents.

He added that ECM had enhanced collaboration across departments, document security, institutional records management, accountability and transparency.

The anniversary featured the presentation of awards to departments and staff members for outstanding performance in using the ECM platform.
(NAN)