Nigerian state hires 400 anti-truancy officers after securing $4 million World Bank grant

Gombe, a state in North Central Nigeria, on Friday hired over 400 personnel to manage the biometric attendance machines used by civil servants in the state.

Truancy by government workers is big issue in most part of Nigeria on account of official corruption.

Most sub-nationals in the country are now embracing use of ICT to combat the menace.

Gombe is one of the states that has joined the train.

According to the government the purpose of this system is to improve efficiency and productivity within the civil service, not to target employees unfairly.

The 400 Biometric Attendance Supervisors will oversee the operation of more than 4,000 Biometric Attendance Machines in state and local government offices.

Since the introduction of the biometric system in October 2021, the state has saved over 23 million naira per month, totaling over 1.4 billion naira.

These savings are being used to settle gratuity payments and improve overall productivity.

The implementation of the biometric system has also helped Gombe State secure a $4 million grant from the World Bank’s SFTAS program and become the top-ranking state in Nigeria for Payroll Management.

Various officials and labor representatives have highlighted the importance of the biometric system in ensuring fairness, accountability, and efficiency in the civil service.

Gombe ranks low in human development placed at 34th out of 37 states including the nation’s capital, Abuja.

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