IT NEWS NIGERIA
Minister said by 2020 and beyond, Government to accurately monitor in real-time the amount of crude oil and gas that is being taken-out of Nigeria every day
Honourable Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu has on Tuesday unveiled “e-Government Master Plan 2020.”
The Minister, who was speaking at the stakeholders’s engagement workshop, said in a speech that the e-Government Master Plan 2020 is developed by the Federal Ministry of Communications and is designed as an essential Blueprint of modalities and protocols for the adoption of e-Government best practices, across board, by all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
According to him, the Master Plan is envisaged as a tidy Road Map for integrating governance in Nigeria, into the post-modern global ICT age for the purpose of matchless efficiency, accountability and transparency; which, as experience in the developed world has proven, is the exclusive reserve of the carriage of governance on the ICT platform of modern technology.
“By 2020 and beyond, Nigerian public office holders must, at the click of computer buttons, be able to deliver the concrete dividends of democracy to Nigerians. Let us imagine this further! By 2020 and beyond, government, at the click of computer buttons, should be able to collate the ideas of millions of Nigerians as prompt and invaluable input in policy evolution and development.”
“By 2020 and beyond, government, at the click of computer buttons, should be able to accurately monitor in real-time the amount of crude oil and gas that is being taken-out of Nigeria every day. By 2020 and beyond, government should be able to pay pensions electronically to pensioners without their having to stand endlessly in queues. The list goes on and on.
Before 2014, Nigeria’s ranking on the UN e-Government Development Index (UN-EGDI) was dismal. In 2014 there was a marginal improvement, which can be adduced to Nigeria’s further recognition of ICT as a positive catalyst to development through the creation of a stand-alone Ministry of Communications. It is my considered opinion that, as a nation, we can do much better in this ranking, and consequently in our economic development, by improving our governance processes through the holistic adoption of e-Government best practices. Consequently, therefore, I feel that this workshop is expected to achieve the following objectives among others:
- Sensitize stakeholders on the importance of e-government and the policy document on e-Government Master Plan 2020.
- Provide an opportunity to get fresh inputs and feedback from the sector’s most important stakeholders such as all of you gathered here today with a view to incorporating their inputs in the Master Plan.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, as you know, this is not the first collaboration between the Ministry of Communications and stakeholders, and this will hopefully not be the last. I believe that with the talents and experiences assembled here today, we can achieve much by focusing our attention on the fact that the purposeful implementation of e-Government in Nigeria will deliver such dividends as:
ü Cost savings, resulting in efficiency in service delivery;
ü Enhanced transparency and accountability;
ü Improved public administration and economic development;
ü The growth of the ICT sector, leading to more employment opportunities for Nigerian youth.
At this juncture therefore, I wish to recognize the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), which has been a most invaluable partner in the development of this essential document. We appreciate their continued support in the on-going e-Government Capacity Building program.
As we prepare to move to the implementation phase of the Plan, we welcome the support of all development partners. We also enjoin all other stakeholders to join us as we embark on this journey which we believe will be a major contributor to the growth of our economy, the increment of our GDP and the creation of more employment opportunities for our youth and for Nigerians in general.
