FG Bans Use of Personal Emails for Official Communication, as Over 115,000 Civil Servants Now Use Official Emails Across 38 MDAs
The Federal Government has announced the phase-out of personal email accounts for official government communication, revealing that more than 115,000 active official email accounts are now being used across the public service as part of efforts to build a fully digital and paperless civil service.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, disclosed this at the Digital Transformation Summit 2026 organised by Galaxy Backbone (GBB) in Abuja to mark the organisation’s 20th anniversary.
According to her, the GovMail platform has become a critical tool for secure, professional and traceable communication across government institutions, strengthening accountability, transparency and service delivery.
Walson-Jack also revealed that the Federal Government has successfully digitised operations in 38 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), describing the development as a key milestone in the ongoing civil service reform programme.
She noted that the administration had moved beyond policy discussions to full implementation of digital transformation across government institutions.
“In the old order, when a file was said to be moving, that statement could mean many things. Today, however, in a digital civil service, movement must mean traceability, accountability, timely action and measurable progress,” she said.
The Head of Service stressed that personal email services such as Yahoo Mail would no longer be used for official government business, insisting that institutional information must remain within government-controlled systems.
“Thanks to Galaxy Backbone, the days of Yahoo Mail are over for transacting government business. When an officer leaves a desk, government information must not leave with that officer; institutional memory must remain within government,” she stated.
She explained that the paperless civil service initiative is aimed at eliminating delays, reducing bureaucracy, improving transparency and strengthening accountability in public administration.
Walson-Jack added that the benefits of the reform are already visible through faster processing of correspondence, improved record management, enhanced supervision and stronger institutional continuity.
She further emphasized the importance of a connected government system, noting that effective inter-agency communication would reduce duplication of functions and improve service delivery to citizens.
The Head of Service commended Galaxy Backbone for providing digital infrastructure such as GovMail, the iGovernment Cloud platform, high-speed internet services and secure connectivity that support government operations nationwide.
Source: TheCable