In what it described as part of efforts to improve efficiency of service delivery in the Nigerian Public Service, the Federal Government has launched the ‘Nigeria e-Government Master Plan 2020’ in Abuja. This was just few days to the end of the current administration.
A statement by the government described the Master plan as the brain child of the Federal Ministry of Communications and is aimed to achieve the Federal Government’s vision and objective of Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP), for a virile economy.
The launching exercise was performed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Mr. Boss Mustapha who is also the Chairman, Presidential Council on e-Government, in collaboration with Minister of Communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu.
In his address, the Minister of Communications, Dr. Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu said that, e-Government implementation is an essential policy that would improve efficiency in the public service, block financial leakages, ensure transparency in government dealings, which would reduce corruption to the barest minimum and bring the Government closer to the people.
He added that the e-government policy implementation would improve quality of life of citizens by enhancing national competitiveness, facilitating market economy, promoting participatory democracy, and improving transparency in the public sector.
Shittu said 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 the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
The Plan also recognises the need to leverage Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) to build a knowledge-based economy, Shittu revealed, that the ministry developed the master plan in fulfilment of its mandate to; “Utilize ICT to drive transparency in governance and improve the quality and cost effectiveness of public service delivery in Nigeria”.
Earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications, Mr. Musa Istifanus said that the ministry took on the responsibility of leading the development of e-government framework in fulfillment of its mandate in line with several programs assigned to the Ministry in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of the Federal Government.
According to him, the 11-month long process that led to the development of the initial draft of the e-government Master Plan championed by the Ministry of Communications and her agencies especially National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Galaxy Backbone Ltd (GBB) was to develop an e-government master plan that will function in various aspects of governance.
“Our expected goal is to have a transparent, competent and services-oriented Government based on the virtues of openness; sharing; communication and collaboration with the vision to develop “World Class Open Government” based on transparency, efficiency and quality of service” Mr. Istifanus said.
