Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to digitizing the State’s public service, as he unveiled the deployment of Computer-Based Test (CBT) technology in the forthcoming recruitment exercise.
Governor Eno, who made this known during an inspection visit to the CBT Centre at the Idongesit Nkanta Secretariat on the Friday, October 10, 2025, confirmed the readiness of the facility, which has the capacity to accommodate up to 2,000 candidates per day for the digitized aptitude test.
He explained that the introduction of CBT in the civil service recruitment process is aimed at promoting merit, transparency, and efficiency while eradicating the influence of godfatherism.
“The Civil Service is the engine room of governance. 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.
“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,” Governor Eno stated.
The Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien, who accompanied the Governor during the inspection, lauded his determination to institutionalize e-governance in Akwa Ibom. He noted that prospective candidates will be given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the system before the actual test, scheduled to hold in ten days.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Science and Digital Economy, Dr. Frank Ekpenyong, assured that the CBT Centre is fully equipped with digitally integrated systems to conduct 2,000 tests daily. He emphasized that the facility was designed in line with the Governor’s vision of deploying technology to ensure transparency and merit-based recruitment into the State Civil Service.
Governor Eno’s initiative marks another milestone in his administration’s drive to modernize public service operations through digital transformation, further consolidating his commitment to the ARISE Agenda pillars of governance, innovation, and inclusivity.
