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 made this known during an inspection visit to the CBT Centre at the Idongesit Nkanta Secretariat on Friday, October 10, 2025, where he confirmed the readiness of the facility. According to him, the centre has the capacity to accommodate up to 2,000 candidates per day for the digitized aptitude test.
He explained that the introduction of the CBT system in the civil service recruitment process is aimed at promoting merit, transparency, and efficiency while eliminating the influence of godfatherism in the system. “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, praised his commitment to institutionalizing e-governance in Akwa Ibom State. He noted that prospective candidates would be given the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the digital platform before the actual test, which is scheduled to take place 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 capable of conducting up to 2,000 tests daily. He added that the facility was developed in line with the Governor’s vision to use technology to ensure transparency and merit-based recruitment into the State Civil Service.
Governor Eno’s initiative represents a major milestone in his administration’s effort to modernize the public service through digital transformation, further consolidating his commitment to the ARISE Agenda pillars of governance, innovation, and inclusivity.