The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development has said the implementation of its Enterprise Content Management (ECM) System has improved efficiency, transparency and document management across the ministry.
The Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development, Yusuf Ata, disclosed this in Abuja during the first anniversary of the ECM System and the launch of the ministry’s Performance Management System.
Ata said the occasion marked more than one year of operating a digital system, describing it as evidence of the ministry’s efforts to change how information is created, managed, shared, secured and preserved.
According to him, the ECM System has improved access to information, reduced the ministry’s dependence on physical documents, strengthened 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,” Ata said.
He added that the system was contributing to the ministry’s vision of becoming a modern and responsive institution in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The minister commended the ministry’s management, staff, ICT Department, technical team and other stakeholders for their contribution to the implementation of the system during its first year.
He also encouraged staff to fully embrace the platform and develop the skills required to maximise its benefits.
Ata urged employees to take ownership of the newly launched Performance Management System and make it part of their regular work processes.
Digital transformation changes how government works
Representing the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretary of the Common Services Office, Danjuma Kalba, congratulated the ministry on the milestone.
Kalba said the ECM initiative demonstrated what could be achieved when government leadership provided clear policy direction, institutions took ownership and public servants embraced technological innovation.
He said the anniversary represented not only one year of operating a digital system but also a year of institutional change.
According to him, digital transformation should not be viewed simply as the acquisition of technology but as a change in the way government institutions carry out their work.
He encouraged the ministry to use its second year of ECM implementation to deepen adoption, expand integration and strengthen the digital skills of its workforce.
Ministry records more than N400m in annual savings
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Shuaib Belgore, said the ministry began full implementation of the ECM System on September 30, 2025, after an earlier pilot phase.
Belgore said the initiative represented a major move away from predominantly paper-based processes towards a more digital, efficient and responsive working environment.
He disclosed that the ministry’s transition towards paperless operations had contributed to annual savings of more than N400 million, particularly through reduced spending on stationery and related items.
According to Belgore, the ECM System had reduced dependence on physical files, improved document tracking and accessibility, and supported faster decision-making.
He said the ministry would now shift its attention from the initial adoption of the system to optimising its use across the organisation.
The permanent secretary also disclosed that more than 90 desktop computers and 30 laptops had been distributed to departments in February 2026 to support the ministry’s digital operations.
Over 80,000 documents digitised
The Head of the Information and Communication Technology Department, Dr Amiolemen Osagie, said 1,200 staff members had been onboarded onto the ECM platform.
Osagie disclosed that the ministry had digitised 6,018 legacy files containing 80,224 documents and 669,108 pages.
The digitised records have been stored on the ECM database, allowing officials to access and retrieve documents electronically.
According to him, the system has also improved the movement and tracking of official documents within the ministry.
The digitisation of the ministry’s legacy records is expected to reduce reliance on physical files while making it easier for authorised officials to locate information when required.
The ministry’s digital transition comes as government institutions continue to adopt technology to improve records management, internal workflows and public-sector administration.
For the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, officials said the next stage will focus on making greater use of the systems already introduced and ensuring that staff have the capacity to use them effectively.
