From Musa Muhammad Kutama, Calabar
The Cross River State Government has rolled out a large-scale digital literacy and capacity-building programme aimed at transforming the state’s civil service into a fully paperless, technology-driven system by the end of next year.
The initiative, known as the Civil Service Technology Empowerment for Capacity and High Performance (CIVTECH) programme, was formally flagged off on Monday by the Head of Service, Orok Okon, at Prof. Eyo Ita House in Calabar.
According to the schedule, the training – which began with Cohort 1 made up of Directors and Deputy Directors of Administration – will run from November 4 to 6, 2025.
Cohort 2, consisting of Assistant Directors, Chiefs and Principal Officers, will follow from November 11 to 13, while Cohort 3, comprising officers on Grade Levels 8–10, is slated for November 18 to 20, 2025.
Speaking during the launch, Okon said the programme was conceived shortly after he assumed office, in collaboration with the Cross River State CR-MEDA, as part of efforts to modernise government operations.
“This initiative aligns with our goal of achieving a paperless civil service by the end of 2026,” Okon stated. “Every cadre of staff across state and local government services will undergo ICT training to ensure full computer literacy and digital proficiency. This is timely and crucial as we transition to e-governance.”
Reinforcing the message, the Director-General of CR-MEDA, Great Ogban, said the CIVTECH project reflects Governor Bassey Otu’s commitment to civil service reform, one of the central pillars of the People’s First Blueprint.
“You cannot reform the civil service without technology and education,” he said. “This programme translates the governor’s vision into action. Civil servants are the drivers of government policy, and this training will enhance their efficiency, speed and output.”
The Chairman of CR-MEDA, Esessien Edet, commended the state’s decision to push for a shift from analogue to digital administration.
“This programme moves our workforce from non-ICT compliance to digital proficiency,” he noted. “It will drastically improve turnaround time, productivity and service delivery.”
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Mrs Glory Odu Oji, said starting the programme with administrators was deliberate because of their central role in data management and policy execution.
“Once administrators are ICT-compliant, the entire system will function more efficiently,” she said. “Participation is voluntary, but over time, productivity will show who embraced the opportunity.”
Some participants described the training as timely and transformative. Dr Icha Mboto, Director of Administration in the Ministry of Human Capital and Entrepreneurship Development, said the initiative would enhance digital records management and workflow.
“This training will improve our ability to manage records and workflows digitally,” Mboto stated. “It’s a major step toward modern public administration.”
Similarly, Dr Pamela Ekuri, Deputy Director of Planning in the Ministry of Industry, said the programme would benefit both current and future civil servants.
“The government’s decision to embrace ICT will make our service delivery faster, smarter and more sustainable,” she added.
