The Federal Government has banned its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from engaging private printing firms for official jobs, directing them instead to use the Federal Government Printing Press.
A leaked memo, signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, and obtained exclusively by the villainfostratic, cited security concerns and recent cases of confidential documents being exposed as reasons for the decision.
According to the circular, all official printing, including gazettes, security documents and other sensitive materials, must henceforth be handled by the Government Printing Press under the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.
The memo, addressed to ministers, permanent secretaries, directors-general and heads of agencies, read in part:
“Further to the Federal Government’s directive as outlined in Circular Ref. No. C/87/S.5/6 of 16th September, 1996, regarding the need for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to patronise the Federal Government Printing Press to safeguard the integrity of government documents, it has been observed that some MDAs, over time, have patronised private printers for official and confidential documents instead of the Federal Government Press.
“This non-compliance has created exploitable gaps for the production of fake gazettes and other official documents, unauthorised leaks of government information, as well as access to sensitive materials.
“Consequently, all MDAs are hereby directed to utilise the Government Printing Press to ensure the safety and confidentiality of government documents.”
The SGF urged ministers and heads of agencies to ensure strict compliance with the directive.
This development follows a series of embarrassing document leaks in recent years. In 2024, the government accused civil servants of leaking sensitive memos, including one in which Akume requested N1bn from President Bola Tinubu to fund activities of the national minimum wage committee.
