Federal civil servants have been directed to discontinue the use of personal email accounts, including Yahoo Mail, for official correspondence as the government intensifies efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and improve records management across ministries, departments, and agencies.
Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack, announced the directive during a digital summit held in Abuja to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Galaxy Backbone.
According to Walson-Jack, more than 115,000 GovMail accounts have been activated to ensure that official communications remain secure, traceable, and professionally managed.
“Government business cannot continue to depend on personal email addresses, informal channels, and scattered records. 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 said.
For public sector employees, the transition is being presented as a practical reform aimed at eliminating bureaucratic delays and improving efficiency. Walson-Jack emphasised that digital transformation within the Federal Civil Service extends beyond symbolism.
“For us in the Federal Civil Service, digitalisation is not a slogan or a ceremonial project, but a practical reform aimed at improving the way government works.
“The paperless civil service is not about removing paper for the sake of removing paper. It is about removing delay, reducing avoidable bureaucracy, strengthening transparency, and ensuring that government work can be tracked, measured, retrieved, and delivered with speed,” she stated.
She disclosed that all 38 federal ministries and departments are expected to complete the digitisation of their work processes by December 2025, with Galaxy Backbone providing the cloud infrastructure and connectivity required to support the initiative.
“You are not simply providing technology; you are supporting governance, enabling continuity, and helping government to work as one connected system. No digital government can stand without a strong backbone,” she told the agency.
