the technology could facilitate salary processing within a day once funds were available, thereby reducing delays associated with traditional procedures.
By Moses Okorie
The Ondo State Government has moved to modernize its public service operations with the introduction of a digital Human Resource Management System and an automated pension migration platform.
The new systems are expected to simplify personnel administration, improve payroll management and make the transition from active service to retirement less cumbersome for workers.
Speaking at the launch in Akure on Wednesday, the State Head of Service, Mr Segun Odusanya, said the initiative would replace several manual procedures with a more efficient and reliable digital process.
Odusanya said the new HR platform would provide government with a central database containing accurate and verifiable information on its workforce.
He explained that the system would help eliminate errors in personnel and salary records while making it easier for government to monitor staff deployment, professional qualifications, career progression and training needs.
According to him, digitalization would also reduce administrative delays and enable the government to make personnel decisions based on current and accurate information.
The HOS urged civil servants to embrace the new system and acquire the skills required to operate in an increasingly digital public service.
He also called on permanent secretaries, directors and personnel officers to ensure that the transition was effectively implemented across the various ministries, departments and agencies.
The technical partner for the project, Smart Apps IT Ltd., said the new platform would give workers greater visibility over their employment and salary records.
The company’s Head of Sales, Mr Geoffrey Dashe, said employees would be able to access payslips and other payroll information without visiting government offices.
Dashe disclosed that the system had also been integrated with Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), biometric identification, facial recognition and fingerprint technology to strengthen payroll verification and ensure that salaries reached the appropriate beneficiaries.
He said the technology could facilitate salary processing within a day once funds were available, thereby reducing delays associated with traditional procedures.
Beyond payroll administration, Dashe said the platform included an automated pension migration application designed to ease the movement of retiring workers from active service into the pension system.
He explained that the innovation would significantly reduce dependence on paper documentation and make the retirement transition more seamless.
To protect government and employee information, Dashe said the platform incorporated data encryption and role-based access controls.
Also, the Permanent Secretary of the Pension Transition Office, Dr Peter Akingbade, said the pension component of the project was particularly important in addressing challenges that retirees had experienced over the years.
Akingbade said missing files, repeated verification exercises and delays had often made the pension process difficult for retirees, but the digital system would ensure that relevant records were securely preserved and easily retrieved.
He assured pensioners that the transition would be implemented in a manner that ensured eligible beneficiaries were properly captured.
Meanwhile, the State Accountant-General, Mr Segun Orisabinueni, described the digital payroll system as a positive development, saying it would enable workers to have better access to and control over their salary information.
The initiative, the officials said, is expected to strengthen transparency, accountability and efficiency in Ondo State’s workforce and pension administration.