Housing Ministry saves ₦400m yearly after going paperless

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has revealed that its shift to a paperless working system is saving more than ₦400 million annually on stationery while reducing the time required to process official files.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at an event marking one year of the Ministry’s Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system.

Belgore said the ECM, which was fully launched on September 30, 2025, had reduced the Ministry’s reliance on physical files, improved document tracking, and accelerated decision-making.

He said a file that previously took four to five days to move from his desk to the Minister and onward to the Finance Department could now complete the process in less than an hour.

According to him, the Ministry’s transition from paper-based processes had also earned recognition from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation for compliance.

The Permanent Secretary said the Ministry had distributed more than 90 desktop computers, 30 laptops, and multifunctional printers to staff in February 2026 to support the digital system.

He, however, said the next phase would focus on optimizing the platform through stronger compliance, staff training, and improved information security.

Earlier, the Head of the ICT Department, Dr. Amiolemen Marcus, said 1,200 staff across the Ministry’s headquarters and state offices had been onboarded onto the ECM platform.

Marcus said the ICT Department had digitized 6,018 membership files and 80,454 documents, while the ECM database now contains 669,108 records.

He said staff at the headquarters and state offices had also received training on the use of the platform.

The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Abdullahi Ata, urged staff to take ownership of the system and make it part of their daily operations.

Ata said the digital transformation had improved access to information, records management, and workflow while reducing dependence on physical documents.

He said the Ministry must continue to improve its processes, protect sensitive information, and use technology to strengthen the delivery of housing and urban development programs.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Abel Enitan, represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Common Services Office, Dr. Danjuma Usman Kalba, described the milestone as a change in how government works rather than merely the acquisition of new technology.

He said effective digital transformation required institutional ownership and the willingness of public servants to adopt new ways of working.

The Ministry also used the anniversary to present awards to staff and departments for their use and support of the ECM platform.