By Okon Okon
The Federal Government has upgraded the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System Human Resources Module (IPPIS HR) with employee self-service application features.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the newly improved IPPIS HR module is aimed at improving civil servants’ access to personnel information and enhancing efficiency in human resource management.
The upgrade was unveiled on Thursday in Abuja as part of activities marking the 2026 Civil Service Week.
The event also featured the sensitisation of stakeholders on the Public Service Mentoring Policy and Guidelines, tagged “Mentoring Marketplace”.
Speaking at the event, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (HCSF), Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, said the initiative was part of ongoing efforts to build a professional, innovative and citizen-centred public service.
Walson-Jack said the IPPIS HR employee self-service application represented a shift from a manual system to a digital platform where civil servants could independently access their records and carry out basic human resource processes.
She said the platform would enable workers to access information such as payslips, update personnel records and make requests without depending on manual processes.
“Not long ago, a civil servant who needed to update her personnel records would go through a long manual process. Some officers waited months for corrections that should have taken days.
“Those days of long waiting periods are ending. What Soft Alliance has presented today represents a shift from a permission economy to an empowerment economy,” she said.
The HCSF said she was able to access her March 2026 payslip during the demonstration of the platform, adding that workers could now access their information from the comfort of their homes or offices.
She urged civil servants to embrace the technology, alongside other digital initiatives such as Service-Wise GPT, to improve productivity and service delivery.
Walson-Jack also emphasised the importance of mentoring in developing future leaders in the public service.
She said the recently approved Public Service Mentoring Policy and Guidelines would institutionalise knowledge transfer, leadership development and succession planning within the service.
“Mentoring changes trajectories. It speaks the truth that performance appraisals cannot. It sees the human being behind the officer and says to that officer, you are worth investing in,” she said.
The HCSF, who disclosed that the 2026 Civil Service Week would be her last as head of the service, expressed appreciation to civil servants for supporting ongoing reforms.
She said the success of the reforms was due to the commitment of workers who believed in and implemented them.
Earlier, Mrs Nkiruka Jones-Nebo, Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, said the two initiatives were critical to the future of the federal civil service.
Jones-Nebo said the IPPIS HR employee self-service application would strengthen digital transformation, while the mentoring policy would develop human capacity.
“Effective institutions are built not only on sound systems and technology but also on capable, motivated and well-prepared people,” she said.
She said the IPPIS HR module would simplify routine HR processes, reduce administrative delays, improve transparency and support evidence-based decision-making.
The permanent secretary added that the mentoring marketplace would provide opportunities for experienced officers to guide younger professionals while preserving institutional knowledge.
She commended Soft Alliance and Resources Limited, the technology partner for the IPPIS platform, as well as stakeholders who contributed to the development of the initiatives.
Also speaking, Mr Abiodun Ohisola, General Manager, Product, Soft Alliance and Resources Limited, said the upgraded platform addressed limitations associated with the previous system.
Ohisola said the new application would allow employees to access information and perform processes that previously required physical movement of files.
He listed some features of the platform to include online leave applications, access to payslips, availability of government circulars, birthday and work anniversary notifications from the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
He said employees could access and download their payslips through their mobile devices, adding that the system was secure and compliant with relevant data protection standards.
“The platform requires designated usernames and passwords, meaning that only authorised employees can access their information,” he said.
Ohisola said the upgraded system was available to all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), covering about 600,000 employees based on their roles and responsibilities.
He expressed confidence that the platform would improve productivity and service delivery across the federal civil service.
He added that Soft Alliance had remained the technology partner for IPPIS since 2003 and was committed to ensuring the sustainability of the system.
“If you do not have an efficient civil service platform, you cannot expect productivity. The Federal Government understands the importance of this and is putting measures in place to ensure that it works,” he said. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)