By Hillary Asemota
In today’s digital age and world, a website is a crucial component of an organization’s online presence, serving as a virtual storefront and information hub.
A well-designed website enables organizations to effectively communicate their mission, values, and services to a global audience, fostering brand awareness and credibility.
Moreover, websites provide a platform for organizations to engage with citizens, customers, stakeholders, and partners, facilitating feedback, collaboration, and growth.
By establishing a strong online presence, organizations can stay competitive, expand their reach, and achieve their goals, hence, in the world of today, having a website is of utmost importance.
Over the past couple of months, under the directive of Senator Monday Okpebholo, the Edo State ICTA has been revamping and restructuring the Edo State Government’s website and its network, as they have come to realise that what was met on ground was sub-par in all ramifications.
While the revamp and restructuring of the website is taking place, further investigation was done to ascertain how such a basic website could have been developed for the State and this has led to findings that the past administration had paid for the development of the state website to paperweight and inexperienced consultants.
These consultants were awarded a contract of over ₦200 million for the development of a website of which, was developed using WordPress and its associated plug-ins.
This, the citizens see hardly as reflection of value for money or the technological advancement one would expect from such an Investment. The use of numerous plug-ins in its creation, culminated in a website that was unstable, lacked adequate cybersecurity and unfit for use by any organisation.
The consequences of this poorly executed project have left the new administration working to revamp over 160 websites belonging to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Chief Press Secretary to Governor Okphebolo, Mr. Fred Itua, while interrogating the deal said beyond just fixing the immediate problem, this debacle is a wake-up call for how public ICT projects are handled.
The Edo State government is now ensuring that its digital infrastructure is fully under the control of its ICT Agency, with clear policies preventing third-party entities from monopolising access.
According to him government agencies will learn that digital security is just as crucial as physical security—leaving critical data in the hands of unaccountable consultants, which is equivalent to handing over state secrets to an unknown entity.
The Okpebholo administration according to him is committed to salvaging this situation and creating a stable platform that is editing of the great people of Edo State. The decision to inform the public is a necessary step in fostering transparency.
