…e-Government: Traditional Council benefits from NITDA’s training initiative
By Frank Momoh
The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, has said effort is in top gear to foster fruitful relationship through a triangular cooperation on e-Government capacity building plan between, Nigerian, Korean and Cameroonian.
Meanwhile, in recognition of the significant role of traditional institutions as custodians of cultural values in the country, the staff of the National Traditional Council for Traditional Rulers in Nigeria (NTCRN) were selected among the recent beneficiaries of NITDA’S capacity building on e- government.
At the opening ceremony of the three-day workshop facilitated by the Korea International Cooperative Agency (KOICA), the Zonal Director of the e-Government Training Centre (e-GTC), Prof. Suleiman Mohammed, welcomed delegates from Korea and Cameroon with a brief history on the collaborations between Nigeria and KOICA.
In a statement, Yewande Foluke Bassey, quoted the Director as saying that capacity building, has been identified as key ingredient in the successful implementation of the Nigeria eGovernment Masterplan, which led to the establishment of e-GTC under the KOICA.
Suleiman disclosed that the Centre was handed over to the Ministry in November 2019 by KOICA after a six-year contract execution period. In December 2019, the Ministry inaugurated the governing committee and later the management in July 2020 due to delay caused by COVID-19.
“The Digital Governance Projects through the KOICA-NIGERIA partnership covered the creation of the eGovernment Master Plan, Capacity Building Program, and the establishment of the eGovernment Training Centre,” said Prof. Suleiman.
He further explained that the centre has adopted a collaborative model in its administration. This he said is based on the belief that eGovernment program is multi-stakeholder and cross cutting in nature.
He confirmed that while 1,777 public officers have been trained on eGovernment capacity building in Nigeria, 131 have been trained in Korea since the centre commenced operations a year ago.
In the bid to ensuring the triangular cooperation relationship among the 3 countries, the KOICA Country Director (Cameroon Office), Mr. Lee Gyuhong, led delegates from four different government establishments in Cameroon namely; the Presidency Office, Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reform, National School of Administration, and the Magistracy to the workshop.
Lee explained that the workshop is to foster knowledge exchange and experience sharing on eGovernment capacity building between Nigeria and Cameroon through workshops and engagements with key eGovernment stakeholders in Nigeria in order to gain better understanding on the administrative and technological factors that supported the country’s eGovernment implementation, the delivery of Cameroun’s eGovernment project experience, and the conduct of notable field visits to key eGovernment service centres in Abuja, Nigeria.
He added that, in enabling a sustainable development goal to ensure inclusiveness, equitable quality education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, KOICA Nigeria has actively championed the delivery of quality basic education through the aid of multimedia tools for better learning outcomes for the Nigerian child.
KOICA-Nigeria program officer, Mr. Kayode Adebisi, while elaborating on the Digital Transformation projects in Nigeria, laid emphasis on the massive Nigerian governmental support received through efficient and transparent service delivery with a citizen centered approach in actualizing a Digital Governance structure in the country.
He noted the impact of Digital Education Projects in Nigeria, saying; “KOICA-Nigeria partnered with Universal Basic Education (KOICA-UBEC) to establish a multi-media model school in Abuja, this was aimed at improving the educational environment of Smart Schools and enhance the quality of public education in Nigeria through the utilization of ICT.”
He closed by adding that the second phase of the digital education project on smart education by KOICA-UBEC is expected to cover six states across Nigeria namely: Kano, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Lagos, Edo, and Anambra States.
The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, said: “The exercise is being carried out with a view to ensuring successful implementation of the e-Government Master Plan as well as inculcating the use of Information Technology in all government activities across board.
Kashifu who was represented by the Director, Information Technology and Infrastructure Solutions of the Agency, Dr. Usman Abdullahi, noted that the training was aimed at ensuring application of technology in running government businesses especially in the Post COVID-19 era.
With this engagement, he acknowledged that the impact of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy NDEPS had recorded yet another breakthrough in its quest to ensure a digital Nigeria.
This feat, he was was attained when the Ministry through NITDA resolved to strengthen the policy by engaging the administrators of traditional institutions in the country with digital technology as a platform for stimulating growth.
He stressed that the agency has become an engine room for the implementation of government policies and programs, building the capabilities of government officials to deliver on your mandates should be a priority to any government.
According to him, the agency is saddled with IT development and regulations, adding: “Our ability to deliver on the Federal government Digital Economy mandate is our primary focus.
“We recognize the fact that building your capabilities as traditional institution should be among our top priority.”
“What the government is doing is to provide services to the people, and the best way to doing that is through the full engagement of traditional rulers,” he alluded.
He said the Participants, during the training, will be exposed to understanding how virtual platforms works and how to create Teams and Channels as well as how to set up Video Conferencing amongst many others.
The DG, explained that the training will save participants from the vulnerabilities of online platforms as Nigeria is fast approaching the full attainment of Digital Economy, where the country must be on the Cyber Space with its associated myriads of challenges.
While declaring the workshop open, the Etsu Nupe Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, commended the Ministry for his resilience and commitment towards making Nigeria a digitally dependent country.
Abubakar noted that the giant strides recorded in the sector demonstrates that the country will soon join the league of top economies of the world.
In a remark, the Director, National Traditional Council for Traditional Rulers in Nigeria, Kasim Yawa, expressed gratitude to the management of NITDA for acquitting them with rudiments of ICT and benefits derivable from digital economy.
