Nigerian President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu has admitted that he get “frightened” whenever he receives the latest updates on the country’s bloated Public Service payroll.
In a press conference in Abuja with Global Vice President of Oracle, Andres Arroyo, Mr Tinubu (pictured) said he hoped the company’s cutting-edge technology could provide some solutions.
The country’s Public Service has long been plagued by absentee and ‘ghost workers’. In one famous case a deceased worker’s family continued to claim his pay for years after his death.
“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 is consuming all the revenue?” Mr Tinubu asked.
“I think we need tight technological control that can check and balance all necessary control points of our transaction processes. I’m looking forward to working with Oracle because I have the belief and confidence that they can do it as they have in the past.”
He said partnerships with global technology companies would ensure that data from public institutions was accurate and transparent in providing templates on which proper public sector planning and accounting could occur across sectors.
The President cited Oracle’s proven success in the automation of the Lagos State payroll system and lauded the positive impact of technological solutions in enhancing accountability, and expediting timelines for service delivery.
Mr Arroyo said a comprehensive digital transformation of work process at the Federal level would achieve greater macro-economic visibility, streamline Government processes for cost and time savings and provide skills development opportunities for Public Servants.
Abuja, 7 September 2023
