An e-government Master plan has been launched by the Nigerian government to drive transparency and improve the quality and the cost effectiveness of public service delivery in the country.
The Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu who officially launched the plan in Abuja said that the Korean government through its agency, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), spent the sum of $500m in developing the Nigerian e-government master plan and building human capacity for its implementation
Shittu then described citizens as government’s customers,
“I must specially thank the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) as it would be interestinting to know that so far KOICA has spent for and in Nigeria towards the realization of e-government establishment more than $500m in building a whole academy and providing scholarships for government officials (in Nigeria and in Korea).”He said
He said the expected outcomes of the e-Government Master plan are clearly defined while measuring its performance saying that “the citizens are customers of the government and should be carried along through robust customer relationship programmes to continuously improve government services.”
According to him, the e-Government Master plan will drive transparency and improve the quality and the cost effectiveness of public service delivery in Nigeria.
Mr. Shittu, noted “that the National e-Government Master Plan was developed with its vision and objectives linked to the Federal Government’s Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) and that the move would improve the quality of life of the citizens by enhancing national competitiveness, facilitating market economy, promoting participatory democracy, and improving transparency in the public sector.”
According him, the initiative, which intends to make best use of information and communications technology (ICT) was developed through research, collaboration and extensive engagement with other relevant stakeholders with the support of KOICA and that” the plan also recognises the need to leverage Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to build a knowledge-based economy, he added that the ministry developed the master plan in fulfillment of its mandates to “Utilize ICT to drive transparency in governance and improve the quality and cost effectiveness of public service delivery in Nigeria”.The Minister noted.
And that with the citizen at the centre of the e-governance vision, “the overall purpose and rationale of the plan is to enhance transparency, efficiency and the quality of public service administration by developing the legal system, organizational framework, government service delivery, human capital, technology infrastructure and awareness.”Shittu explained
He added that the overall purpose and rationale of the project is to strengthen the efficiency and transparency of public administration service and provide multiple access and delivery channels for citizens, businesses and government employees.
The Head of Service of the Federation ,Mr. Boss who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs, Mr. Babatunde Lawal said e-government adoption across government ministries, departments agencies will result in to savings through economies of skills, enhance transparency and inherent accountability in government services.
“Mr. President’s desire to eliminate wastage and ensure that government resources go a long way to serve the people led to his insistence on the full implementation of the Single Treasury Account (TSA), the expansion of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, harmonization of all data bases under the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). Remarkably we have already started seen the results from these initiatives”he said.
Also ,Country Director of KOICA, in Nigeria Mr. Woochan Chang explained that “Nigeria is a very important partner of Korea as she is one of her major trading partners since 1971. Within the last 11 years that KOICA has been in Nigeria it has strengthened bilateral cooperations in the areas of health care, education governance and humanitarian assistance.”he said
Mr Chang further said that KOICA is delighted to be part of this achievement (the launch of the e-government master plan); “since 2013 we have partnered and worked the Ministry of Communications to implement e-government capacity building programmes. Through this programme more than a thousand Nigerian government officials have been trained both in Nigeria and Korea.”
“And also we established an e-government centre at the public institute of Nigeria. And KOICA will continue to support Nigeria in any possible way to implement this e-government master plan.”Mr Chang added.
Source: VON