In a bid to address the alarming issue of Nigeria’s burgeoning civil service payroll, President Bola Tinubu held a crucial meeting on Monday with Oracle Corporation’s Global Vice President, Mr. Andres Garcia Arroyo, at the State House in Abuja. President Tinubu called on Oracle, the American multinational computer technology company, to assess the situation and implement technological solutions to streamline and modernize the public service payroll system.
The crux of the matter lies in the fact that the public service payroll, while accounting for only 1 to 2 percent of the national population, consumes a significant portion of the country’s revenue. President Tinubu expressed his deep concern about the unsustainable situation, stating, “Each time they give me the payroll number, I get so frightened. Where am I going to get the capital to develop the infrastructure we desperately require if the payroll of 1% – 2% of the population is consuming all the revenue?”
To address this pressing issue, President Tinubu is advocating for the implementation of advanced technological controls to monitor and optimize various transaction processes within the public service. He expressed confidence in Oracle’s ability to assist in this endeavor, citing their past success in automating the Lagos State payroll system during his tenure as the Lagos State Governor.
Mr. Arroyo, the Global Vice President of Oracle, responded positively to President Tinubu’s call for assistance. He pledged that Oracle would conduct a comprehensive national diagnosis of the public service’s current state, analyzing the scale of solutions required across various sectors. Notably, Oracle has offered to perform this diagnostic assessment for free.
Arroyo also proposed a thorough digital transformation of work processes at the federal level of administration, with the aim of achieving better macro-economic visibility, streamlining government operations to save costs and time, and facilitating skills development opportunities for Nigerians.
In his remarks, Mr. Arroyo commended President Tinubu for his practical leadership throughout his career, stating, “You have shown tremendous practical leadership throughout your career, Mr. President. We have partnered with you and we know how determined you are to achieve all that you set out to achieve.”
President Tinubu, looking back on the successful collaboration between the Lagos government and Oracle during his time as governor, stressed the importance of technological solutions in enhancing accountability and expediting service delivery without compromising quality. He emphasized the significance of accurate data and efficient data management capabilities in building strong institutions and delivering excellent services to Nigerians.
Furthermore, President Tinubu expressed his commitment to forging new partnerships with global technology companies to ensure transparency and accuracy in public institutions’ data. His government’s vision includes promoting ease of doing business, fostering digital innovation, implementing efficient identity management, optimizing payroll administration, and delivering high-quality citizen-centered services.
In conclusion, President Bola Tinubu’s engagement with Oracle Corporation marks a significant step toward addressing Nigeria’s fiscal challenges related to its civil service payroll. The proposed technological solutions hold the promise of ushering in a new era of transparency, efficiency, and accountability within the Nigerian public sector, ultimately benefiting the entire nation.
