The Federal Government has announced that it has gone paperless in the Ministry of Interior with the official launch of the Interior Electronic Records and Archiving System (INTERAS), an 8.3 petabyte tier-4 data centre electronic workflow hub.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made this known at an event to mark the launch of the initiative and the commissioning of the ministry’s Information and Communication Technology, (ICT), Room in line with the “Go-Live Enterprise Content Management (ECM) system of the federal government, yesterday in Abuja.

He said that with the introduction of the tier-4 data centre, the ministry of interior has beaten a December 31st deadline set by the federal civil service to go paperless meaning that no file and documentation will be done on paper in the ministry interior and this will boost efficiency in the civil service by ensuring a fast, safe and secure way of doing business with the government.

The minister said that. “For us in the Ministry of Interior, this is only the beginning. We will not stop until the ministry is fully automated and all its agencies are integrated into INTERAS.”

He further explained that INTERAS ushers in an era of mobile service delivery because “We have built an 8.3 petabyte, Tier-4 data center to ensure government retains ownership of its data, powered by solar for sustainability. This is the culture we are building, a private sector mindset in the public sector, anchored not on individuals but on strong institutions.”

The minister further explained that the INTERAS ushers in an era of mobility in service delivery which eliminates a system plagued by unnecessary delays as government processes are handled through the movement of physical files.

He adds that “As an IT person myself, I fully understand the value of INTERAS. My policy has always been that no file stays overnight on my desk. With this system, I can now work on the move, run a mobile office, and process documents faster and more efficiently.”

Noting that all the agencies under the ministry will be linked to the e-workflow, Dr. Tunji-Ojo said “This solution is not isolated. Our Citizenship and Business Department is now fully automated, you apply online for citizenship, business permits, or even marriage licenses. No more paperwork.

“Similarly, quota administration is now fraud-proof through harmonized data with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and we issue electronic CERPAC, (Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card), instead of manual forms that once forced applicants to travel across local governments just to make purchases.”

The minister said “Our borders are now monitored with advanced surveillance and the United Nations mandated Advanced Passenger Information System, (APIS by), which allows us to know who is entering Nigeria before they arrive. Immigration profiling is now objective and data-driven.”

Speaking on the significance of going paperless in the civil service with regards to digital reforms, Head of the Civil Service, (HOS), of the Federation, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, said INTERAS is a shift from manual to digital transformation in line with global best practice.

She commended the minister of Interior for going ahead with the ECM through the introduction of INTERAS noting that “By steering the Ministry of Interior to become the 18th ministry to go live on the ECM platform, you have proven that with vision, teamwork, and commitment, digital transformation is achievable. This is no small feat, and I applaud you and your entire team with pride and admiration.

“The Ministry of Interior has become a model of innovation and efficiency in the public service. You have demonstrated vision in digital reforms, modernising passport issuance, streamlining visa and residence permit applications, and strengthening border management systems.
“These efforts have touched millions of lives directly, including ours, when guests from outside the country were able to obtain visas seamlessly and in record time.”

Walson-Jack observed that “The December 31 deadline for a paperless civil service In Nigeria is indeed feasible.
“What we celebrate today goes beyond this ministry. It aligns fully with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda because His Excellency has been unequivocal in his desire for a public service that is efficient, transparent, and digitally enabled.

She said that by launching the INTERAS platform the Ministry of Interior is giving Nigerians a glimpse of the future” a future where service delivery is seamless, public servants are empowered, and citizens are better served”

On her part, Permanent Secretary ministry of Interior, Dr Magdalene Ajani, said that INTERAS means that government is hosting everything about the Interior ministry online.

In her view, “This epoch making development is not merely an operational upgrade. It is a defining milestone that stamps the Ministry’s name on the map of progressive governance and strategic foresight. Indeed, this is the quintessence of visionary leadership. Leadership that does not only respond to the present, but boldly prepares for the future.

“In administrative palace, INTERAS is a policy watershed, an institutional innovation that will serve as a framework for efficiency, accountability, and continuity. It embodies the Ministry’s drive to move beyond rhetoric into tangible, transformative outcomes that resonate across every level of its operation and this landmark is a reminder that great institutions are built by foresight, not by chance.”

Dr Ajani noted that with INTERAS going live, the ministry has once again shown that it is not keeping pace with the times, but is setting the pace.

“So we are hosting everything about interest, 100 per cent on a government platform. This couldn’t have happened without the Honorable Minister’s mission and ensuring that the NIS data center was built. It’s probably one of the largest we have. We don’t necessarily need internet to work but once we step out of site, we can now get on the internet and work from anywhere in the world.

“To be able to get to the state that we are at, it took close to nine months to achieve this, she said. The permanent secretary explained that “We do not have all the computers we need, but we have 275 computers right now. The Honorable Minister approved for the procurement of 180 computers in the 2024 budget. We earlier had 95 functional computers, making it 275, we will be procuring more in the 2025.”

Explaining the workings of the e-workflow ICT team member of Zimedi Consult, managers of the e-hub, Abiodun Akinsola, said the INTERAS interface is designed to give different level access with various features such as circular section within the ministry, profile as per hierarchy, file feature as per department, out of office request, registry and payment voucher among others.