Nigeria has moved up 21 places to 141st out of 193 countries rated in the UN Global eGovernment Development Index for 2014, also ranking 97th in the eParticipation index, an improvement of 22 places from 2012.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Communication Technology described the upward movement as a welcome development “that shows that progress is being made in the efforts of the Nigerian Government through the Ministry of Communication Technology to enable and promote e-governance in Nigeria”.
Efem Nkanga, special assistant (media) to Dr Omobola Johnson, Nigeria’s minister of communication technology, said the ministry has embarked on initiatives to deploy ICT to drive transparency and efficiency in governance and public service delivery.
“To enable internal efficiency in government, the ministry is promoting ICT in government-by facilitating e-government, which enhances transparency, efficiency, productivity and citizen engagement,” she said.
Nkanga said the ‘Getting Government Online’ initiative the ministry is facilitating is geared at ensuring the government deploys technology as a mechanism to transform the way it operates and enhance the effectiveness of government service delivery for the benefit of citizens.
“This has led to the implementation of two flagship projects, namely the Government Service Portal (GSP) and Government Contact Centre (GCC). The Government Service Portal (GSP) provides a single window technology access by citizens and other stakeholders to government services being provided by various ministries, departments and agencies. It is multi-featured and includes collaborative channels that deliver core content management capabilities.”
She also revealed the ministry is currently automating the pre-incorporation and post-incorporation processes of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and online payment on the Government Service Portal.
“The ministry is also setting up Government Contact Centres, which will facilitate efficient response to citizen requests through a two-tier response approach. The Contact Centre, which will be located in the six geopolitical zones of the country is planned to house robust databases as well as accommodate 150 operator seats,” Nkanga said.
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