A team of Nigerian civil servants has clinched the N5 million grand prize at the 5th Federal Public Service Innovation Competition with a groundbreaking carpooling app designed to ease transportation challenges among public workers.

The winning team, Team Carpooling, developed a ride sharing solution that allows civil servants to either pay colleagues who own cars for rides or rotate the use of personal vehicles among a group of car owners without financial transactions.

The innovation, tailored to address daily commuting struggles, was hailed as a practical, scalable solution to reduce transport costs and improve productivity.

Team leader Nusrah Wali said the app offers both financial and non-financial models, noting that the idea was born out of real hardship faced by workers.

“This will not only ease the burden of transportation but also foster collaboration and convenience among civil servants,” she said.

She described the initiative as perfectly aligned with the ongoing Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), which prioritizes innovation as a core pillar.

“This is more than an app; it’s a symbol of the new direction we’re heading, a service that is smarter, more citizen-focused, and solution-driven,” Walson-Jack said during the award ceremony held in Abuja.

The Head of Service noted that this year’s competition saw over 155 entries, with 132 ideas pitched and 66 teams emerging after rigorous virtual training and mentorship. Judges included international experts from MIT (USA), San Francisco, Canada, and Nigeria.

Other winners received N3 million and N2 million as first and second runners-up, while ten finalists were awarded N200,000 each.

Walson-Jack also unveiled several digital tools now available to civil servants, including: SERVICE-WISE GPT – an AI assistant for real-time support on public service processes; FCS Online Academy – an e-learning platform offering professional development and the Civil Service Newsletters – internal publications promoting welfare, reforms, and innovation.

She called on private sector players and development partners to support the scaling of such innovations, emphasizing the need for a collaborative ecosystem that drives national development through technology and ideas.

Walson-Jack noted that the Federal Public Service Innovation Competition, launched in 2020, has grown into a flagship initiative for transforming public service delivery in Nigeria.

[TheNation]