The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to digitising the state’s public service as part of a long-term strategy to promote transparency, efficiency, and merit-based governance.
Governor Eno made this known during an inspection of the newly equipped Computer-Based Test (CBT) Centre in Uyo, where he confirmed the readiness of the facility ahead of the forthcoming civil service recruitment exercise.
“The Civil Service is the engine room of governance. If we don’t get the Civil Service right, we would never get governance right,” Governor Eno declared.
Digital Process
The Governor explained that the introduction of CBT technology in the recruitment process was designed to promote merit and eliminate godfatherism, ensuring that only competent and digitally literate candidates are employed in the state workforce.
“The quality of people we bring into the service in this 21st century matters. The world has even moved to AI now, so we need people who at least understand basic computing to the extent that they can take an exam,” he said.
The Governor noted that the adoption of digital recruitment processes would modernise civil service operations and restore public confidence in the government’s commitment to fairness and accountability.
“This system will also eliminate godfatherism. People should have confidence that they got into the service by merit by passing the required exams. We’re in the 21st century, and that’s the way it should be,” he stressed.
Modernising the Workforce
Governor Eno emphasised that the civil service must evolve in line with global digital trends to remain effective as the backbone of governance.
“People the world over have moved to Artificial Intelligence, and there is need for us to recruit qualified and capable hands that will be able to stand the test of time in service delivery,” he stated.
The Governor expressed satisfaction with the standard of the CBT Centre, describing it as “state-of-the-art” and reaffirming his administration’s commitment to the digital transformation of governance processes.
Commendations
The State Head of the Civil Service, Effiong Essien commended the Governor for institutionalising e-governance across the state.
“We thank His Excellency for introducing dynamism in the service. The CBT recruitment examination will take place in the next ten days,” Essien said.
He assured applicants that the system is user-friendly and within their capabilities.
“The CBT facilities and processes are within their knowledge and capability, and I enjoin them to just get themselves prepared for a simple evaluation test through the computers,” he explained.
Commissioner for Science and Digital Economy, Dr Frank Ekpenyong, also praised the Governor’s foresight in aligning the civil service with the realities of a digital age.
“His Excellency, Governor Umo Eno, has demonstrated exceptional vision and passion to ensure merit, competence, and confidence in the State Civil Service for efficiency in service delivery,” he stated.
Dr Ekpenyong disclosed that the CBT Centre can accommodate up to 400 applicants at a time and 2,000 applicants daily in scheduled batches, adding that it was built to promote transparency and merit-driven recruitment.
Driving Digital Governance
Governor Eno’s digital reform has been hailed as a landmark in public sector modernisation and a key pillar of his ARISE Agenda, particularly in governance, innovation, and inclusivity.
The initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to build a digitally skilled and ethically grounded workforce capable of driving Nigeria’s development goals.
By introducing CBT-based recruitment, Akwa Ibom joins the growing number of states leveraging technology to improve governance, strengthen public trust, and nurture a new generation of civil servants defined by competence rather than connection.
PIAK