IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications Technology, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, on Wednesday advocated the adoption of information communication and technology (ICT) by Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as a vehicle to drive the present administration strategic change agenda.

Speaking at the ministry’s August 2015 In-House seminar with the theme: ‘Change Management,’ which was organised in collaboration with the Nihilent Group, in Abuja, Olaopa admitted that it was gladdening to note that President Muhammadu Buhari, has shown considerable interest to drive his administration’s change agenda, using ICT platform.

Chief Executive Officer of Omatek Ventures, Mrs. Florence Seriki, who gave the challenge in Lagos recently while unfolding the company's agenda for 2013, said the local content programme of the federal government may not succeed unless Jonathan endorses it.

The Government of Ondo State has concluded plans to build Diaspora Smart City in Akure, to turn the state to a tourists’ destination.

The State Commissioner for Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations, Boye Ologbese, who disclosed this during a familiarisation tour of ministries of infrastructure and land and housing, said government will provide an enabling environment for the take off of the project.

Ondo State Governor Lucky Ayedatiwa has set up a Diaspora Smart City in Akure, the capital. It is tagged: ‘Green Economy Initiative’.

It was the outcome of the weekly meeting of the Executive Council (exco), held at the Governor’s Office yesterday.

Highlighting the advantages of the Diaspora Smart City, he said the project would be a tourism hub for Southwest regional development.

Managed by the State Information Technology Agency (SITA), but funded by the state government, the digital card, which comes with high security features, will be distributed free of charge to all interested persons, upon registration.

Project Coordinator of ‘Kaadi Igbe Ayo’, Mr. Tunde Yadeka, told ICT journalists last Tuesday that the card would serve so many functions relating to egovernance.

The federal government of Nigeria does not need to worry about how to collect its various revenues, as several electronic platform options are currently available to all the ministries, departments and agencies [MDAs], which government has mandated to collect its revenues. Deremi Atanda, electronic payment expert and executive director, Systemspecs, made the assertion recently at the 2015 E-Government Summit, which has the theme “Key to Sustainable Development” in Abuja. Atanda noted that there are several challenges experienced by government MDAs which has to do with how to implement the Federal Government electronic payment policy.

The overwhelming task of fixing Nigeria’ s mirage of problems has beclouded a lot of people not to appreciate the great effort being put in place to reposition Nigeria as a working country. The pulsating headline in the dailies dishing out the level of corruption interplaying in the system has made it easy for some Nigerians to lose hope that the nation will not attain its rightful position in the comity of nations.

The number of corruption cases being exposed and prosecuted in recent time indicates that it is no longer business as usual as the government would allow corruption cases to take its natural cause without intervention from any quarters. This shows that Nigeria is developing into a democratic space with less impunity in the society.

Oracle Nigeria has moved to entrench electronic governance in public and private sectors of Nigeria following strong partnerships with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and the Office of National Content (ONC).

The global software service provider is also working with five state governments in the country namely Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Edo, Akwa Ibom States to make sure that chief executives drive governance using information technology (IT) at their various agencies aimed at reducing wastages, driving business agility and simplifying IT.

The Havel Corporate Concept, an affiliate of ioSafe Nigeria, has unveiled projects designed to transform Abuja into a smart city.

The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Dr Ahmed Badanga, unveiled the projects at a media briefing in Abuja on Friday.

Badanga identified the projects as Abuja Smart City Project and Abuja Residents Smart Card Project.

The Chairman, Economy Team of Nigeria, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, will receive the result of the deliberations of the meeting of an electronic payment group, the E- Payment Providers Association of Nigeria-(E-PPAN).

The meeting will host personalities, such as its Chairman, Advocacy Committee and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Central Securities Clearing System Limited (CSSL) Mr. Kyari Bukar; former Director (Operations) the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Tunde Lemo; Chairman, Lambeth Trust Investment Limited, Oluwatoyin Jokosenumi; Head, Programme Office, FSS2020 CBN, Mr. Dipo Fatokun- Director; BPSD CBN and Chairman of NEFF and the E-PPAN Board of Trustees and the Governing Board Members.

According to Semiu Okanlawon, director, bureau of communications and strategy, Office of the Governor, the platform will avail the general public with information relevant to the needs of citizens (local and Diaspora), investors and interested parties.

Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, the state Commissioner for Finance, Economic Planning and Budget, gave this commendation when declaring open the Computer Appreciation Training Workshop, organized by his ministry for some selected officers.

According to the commissioner, training and re-training of officers is a sine-qua-non for efficient and effective service delivery in any organization, including the civil service.

The project, being executed by Chams plc, is expected to provide the government of the State of Osun with accurate data on students attending public schools as the government strives to revolutionise public education in the state.

The state Commissioner for Finance, Dr. Wale Bolorunduro, who disclosed this to THISDAY Saturday in his office, said this was achieved through the use of biometric database created by the Administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola.

According to the commissioner, Aregbesola accepted to pay the N4 billion pension arrears, which was left unpaid by the previous administration of Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, out of his concerns for the welfare of the senior citizens of Osun State in October last year.

The launch of the initiative took place at Salvation Army School, Alekuwodo, Oshogbo, Osun State. An initiative of Chams Plc, the smart ID card is linked back to a central database which provides the government of the State of Osun with accurate and reliable data on the identity and number students attending public schools in the state.

How is our nation handling emerging security threats?

In today’s environment of emerging security threats, the need to re-engineer security routine processes via proper implementation of information and communication technology (ICT) is paramount to our everyday endeavours.

State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Mr. Yiljap Abraham, who disclosed this yesterday while speaking with journalists, attributed the continuous lack of proper accounting of funds for developing the state to the fraud.

Abraham said that the ghost workers were discovered after a biometric verification exercise was carried out by the state government, adding that after earlier committees set up by the government to determine the strength of the state workforce had put the figure at between 17,000 and 18, 000 workers, the governor became alarmed that despite the fact that there had been no new employment, the figure kept rising.

The Oyo State Government has lauded the ‘Ibadan Smart City’ project, saying the proposed housing project, located along Lagos/Ibadan express way is capable of turning around economy and reduce housing deficit within the state.

The State Government described the project as a laudable achievement which will add to standard of living of residents of the state.

As part of his administration’s commitment towards the actualisation of e-governance model in the state, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, on Thursday, 17 December, 18, inaugurated 1,108 computer systems meant to facilitate the first phase of the model.

The governor, who commissioned the systems inside the Department of Information Communication Technology office of the Governor’s office, Agodi, Ibadan, stated that the measure would fast-track the processes and activities of government through ICT.