Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has launched an Artificial Intelligence-powered digital system aimed at automating personnel administration, payroll management, retirement and pension processes across the state civil service.
The platform, known as “Ondo AI,” was unveiled on Thursday at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office in Akure as part of the state government’s broader digitisation programme.
Aiyedatiwa said the initiative was designed to move the state civil service away from analogue processes and improve the speed, accuracy and quality of information available to government for decision-making.
According to the governor, modern public administration can no longer depend indefinitely on manual systems, particularly at a time when data and timely access to information have become central to effective governance.
He said the initiative was not simply about introducing new technology but about changing how government operates and delivers services to citizens.
The governor explained that digitisation would help simplify government processes, reduce bureaucratic bottlenecks, preserve institutional records and bring public administration closer to citizens.
Demonstrating the platform, the Managing Director of SmartApps IT Limited, Godwin Odoma, said the system would automate several aspects of civil service administration, including payroll management, retirement processing and pension migration.
The platform contains digital records of civil servants, including photographs, appointment information, promotion letters, academic qualifications, complaints and other relevant documents.
Authorised government officials will be able to access the records electronically, while the system is designed to provide alerts when a civil servant approaches retirement.
The self-service component will also allow civil servants to determine the number of days remaining before their retirement, according to Odoma.
The development builds on an earlier digital payroll and human resources initiative introduced by the state government in September. The platform, referred to as “Ondo Pay,” was designed to consolidate employee records, salary computation, approvals, payroll processing and pension migration within a centralised digital environment.
Its mobile self-service application allows authorised workers to access payslips, view salary and deduction information, update permitted personal details, submit requests and receive payroll notifications.
The digital system is also intended to strengthen payroll oversight by providing government with more current workforce information and reducing reliance on manual calculations and paperwork.
The Head of Service, Chief Segun Odusanya, described the development as an important step towards modernising the state public service.
He said the effectiveness of government depends significantly on how its human resources are managed, developed and deployed, adding that reliable personnel information was essential to workforce planning and decision-making.
The system is expected to provide government with a central source of personnel and payroll information, while authorised workers can access relevant services without repeatedly visiting administrative or payroll offices.
The move forms part of wider efforts by the Ondo State Government to use technology in public administration. In recent weeks, the administration has also announced technology-focused initiatives in areas including renewable energy and support for small businesses.
For civil servants, the government expects the digital system to make personnel and payroll processes more accessible and predictable. For the administration, it is intended to improve workforce planning, expenditure monitoring and the availability of information for policy decisions.
However, the effectiveness of the system will depend on implementation, accurate data, secure handling of personnel information and the ability of government institutions to maintain and continuously update the platform.
The Ondo State Government said the initiative represents a shift towards a more data-driven public service, with technology being deployed to simplify administrative processes and improve the management of government personnel.
