Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NeGST, Dr. Olu Agunloye, said solutions to be rolled out include eHealth, eSchool, eAuthentication, eRegistration and Tele-medicine.
Others are eGovernment platform that integrates government ministries; departments and agencies to enable them share their services or other information among themselves as well as with members of the public.
The e-kiosk is a device with computer and Internet access which makes it possible for rural dwellers to access the Internet and transact business with the outside world. There is the mobile e-kiosk which moves on a tricycle and the stationary e-kiosk in NeGST programme.
Dr. Agunloye noted that the company has leveraged on all available information technology infrastructure, software, human and financial resources to evolve an innovative business plan on the private- sector partnership framework to create appropriate "government to government, government to business and government to citizens' interactions and vice-versa".
He stated that the main objective was to create people empowerment by aligning NeGSt's objectives with the National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS), New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at the local, regional and global levels for the benefit of all.
As part of steps to implement the e-government initiative, he explained that consideration was given to factors such as existing networks and facilities like the PSNet, Integrated Fiscal and Economic Management Information System (IFEMIS) currently networked to seven major government ministries, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and National Planning Commission (NPC).
Other facilities that were considered in developing the e-government strategies were the e-Infrastructure and e-Applications of state and local governments particularly in the frontline states like Jigawa, Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Ogun and the FCT as well as the emerging on-line culture with electronic registrations for major examination bodies like WAEC, NECO and the JAMB.
The former Power and Steel Minister furthersaid that new opportunities for the Nigeria- SAT3 backbone, Fibre Optic rings being developed by Globacom and NITEL, emerging IT parks, data centres, eVillages, eMails and Wide Area Hotspots (WHAs) as well as the on-going Nigeria Communications Satellite project were also in consideration.
On other benefits of the initiative, Agunloye said the e-government platform would enhance the realization of the objectives of the on-going reform programme, facilitate good return on investment for shareholders in addition to direct impact on meeting the Millennium Development Goals.
Head, Operations, NeGSt, Mr. Gbenga Adebusuyi, pointed out that the company's roll out was long overdue while it took enough time to incubate the solutions as well as convincing government ministries and agencies to buy-in into the project.
He said that the Nigerian model of the e-government has become the envy of most other African countries as some of them now request the NeGSt's assistance, stressing that a recent demonstration of the capabilities of some of the solutions and strategies in Ghana was overwhelmingly applauded.
Regional Manager, International Business Machine (IBM) West Africa, Mr. Fedrick Udoakia said it has potential of improving service delivery Customer-citizen-employee satisfaction, as well as enhancing economic development and citizen participation, as it will attract investment, reduce business burdens, enable businesses and generate employment.
He also said that NeGST will also increase operational efficiency, increase productivity and share infrastructure cost.
Proponents of Nigeria's e government initiative said some of the core services of the project are set to fully burst into life to allow for stronger communication among citizens and between government and citizens.
"NeGST has created a portal www.enigeria.com.ng in addition to the portal, the back-end facilities using Hewlett Packard fourth generation dual process or cluster and 1.2 terabytes of storage with a scalable technical architecture", Agunloye said.
Challenge
There are challenges that will take time to surmount, which include building integrated data base that would harmonize data management and processing among numerous government agencies and ministries.
A survey of 26 states and federal ministries, departments and agencies in Nigeria made available by NeGST, indicate that there was gross dearth of good data, sub-standard databases where there were attempts to store data, non compliance with any standards.
The results were predictably absence of reliable database, disjointed operations, low level computerization and applications among others.
Since it launch, the NeGST has been able to find ways at addressing some of these challenges encouraged by the gradual evolution of some "e-Environment" factors that have formed part of the implementation strategies.
The question of IT literacy poses a big challenge, with e-Government, citizens are expected to interact with government online. How many Nigerians are computer literate? IT experts believe that as NeGST takes root, it will encourage Nigerians to learn the use of computer, knowing that it is the only way to interact with government.
However, fears have been expressed on the issues of updating information on the sites. Recently, it was discovered that the website of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) still has Dr. Abel Gubadia as the Chairman.
NeGST should try and avoid such mistake capable of ridiculing the country.
Autor: Chike Onwuegbuchi
Quelle: AllAfrica, 16.03.2006
