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President Muhammadu Buhari believes eGovernment is the foundation of good governance and underscores the administration’s commitment to implement the National eGovernment master plan “where eGovernment becomes a blessing to everyone,” Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has expressed in a recent virtual webinar.
The webinar was put together by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in collaboration with Digital Jewels as part of activities to commemorate NITDA’s 20th anniversary.
The minister who was leading discussants that included Director General, NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi and MD/CEO of Digital Jewels Ltd, Ms Adedoyin Odunfa and media community, disclosed how he presented a memo with the Head of Civil Service of the Federation before the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on National Policy for virtual engagements in federal public institutions which was approved.
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Virtual engagements are now formal and institutionalized form of engagements in Nigeria following that submission and approval by the FEC, the highest decision-making body in the land.
“At the ministerial level in Nigeria, our responsibility is more on National Policy development and Policy supervision,” said Pantami.
He said his focus was not just to have an active eGovernment but a secure one which will gain the confidence of all Nigerians.
“The National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) which was developed for a Digital Nigeria has eGovernment has one of its pillars and secured through another pillar ‘Cybersecurity”.
He further noted that a subsidiary legislation of the Nigerian Data Protection Regulations (NDPR) which is a regulation that protects the privacy of data being implemented by NITDA, is one of the most effective initiatives of the current administration.
His words” “I led a team then that developed the first ever NDPR in order to give confidence to our citizens that any data under the government is secured, and we have been implementing this.”
According to the minister, series of eGovernment trainings have been organized where public and civil servants were trained on eGovernment.
Some of the trainings are being conducted by NITDA in collaboration with Galaxy Backbone limited, adding that National eGovernment Training Centre which was established by this administration in Abuja at the Public Service Institute is a centre where citizens, particularly civil servants and other underemployed or unemployed citizens, are being trained.
As part of government\s recognition of the growing need for eGovernment, President Buhari recently unveiled the National Cybersecurity Policy.
Awareness is being created so that citizens will know how to cautiously navigate the internet, which is a foundational strategy for eGovernment.
“When you are online, you are exposed to so many challenges. We have been training citizens on cyber security not only at the federal and state levels but at local levels where trainings have been organized. From time to time, we issue advisory notes where citizens are being encouraged to take precautions on potential attacks,” the minister said.
NITDA has refocused on NDEPS, Abdullahi
For the NITDA’s boss, the IT agency has refocused its efforts on the implementation of the NDEPS. Abdullahi remarked that the minister’s recent unveiling of the agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2021-2014 (SRAP) was a turning point for its digitalization of Nigeria.
“As we push for a digital economy, it is imperative to build the confidence and trust of citizens for either government services or other private services,” he noted.
He said NITDA’s SRAP is anchored on seven strategic pillars fostered round Developmental Regulations focusing on indices needed to move Nigeria on the eGovernment index.
Adding: “Some of these regulations are regulatory instruments, guidelines and frameworks that prepare Nigeria for this journey.”
According to Abdullahi, the agency issued the NDPR which was to help Nigerians understand data privacy and build confidence for people to use data services.
“The regulation was innovative in the sense that apart from making sure we have a secure digital service, it also created an industry for our country. Data is the greatest resource in the digital economy,” he added.
Abdullahi said that digital literacy is another pillar which focuses on capacity building of eGovernment services, noting that it is important to build people’s capacities on proficient use of digital services. He further stated that Digital Transformation is another pillar which uses digital technology for operational excellence in governance and to enhance transformational delivery of traditional government services.
He stated that Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Promotion of Indigenous Contents are strategic pillars which basically involve the maximum empowerment and use of local innovations to come up with indigenous made solutions for the Nation.
“Last year, the Honorable Minister directed us to come up with innovation challenges in motivating our innovation ecosystem to come up with digital innovation solutions for our country which we have done through various innovation challenges across the country. We are currently working with Mass Challenge to build a framework for innovation challenge across the country.”
Abdullalhi stated that emerging technologies is a pillar which encourages citizens to develop and adopt strategies for emerging technologies. He said that some of the emerging technologies are foundational techs that cut across so many industries like the block chain, artificial intelligence and robotics.
“However, cybersecurity is a pillar which is very essential for digital economy and digital transformation within the government. We are making our cyber space secure and build the confidence of every Nigerian citizen,” Abdullahi concluded.
Odunfa: UN Sustainable Development Goals align with NITDA’s agenda
In her own presentation, Ms Odunfa said the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals has aligned with NITDA in the areas of poverty eradication, gender equality, industry, innovation and infrastructure among others.
She disclosed that a survey on eGovernment development status was carried out in 193 United Nations Member States which reflected the importance of eGovernment to sustain the Sustainable Goals.
If eGovernment is implemented effectively in any country, it will help in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Odunfa noted. According to her, facilitating policies and services through eGovernment and Open government data for promoting effective and transparent institutions are key trends to be considered in eGovernment. Others are eGovernment for policy integration and e-participation to promote participatory decision making and service delivery.
