The innovative workshop, scheduled to hold from May 15 - 16, 2007, in Lagos , at the FITC, Apapa, aims to equip and educate Nigerian banks, individuals and businesses on the imperative to adopt electronic payment and administrative procedures in transactions involving government institutions, agencies and parastatals.
Wholly sponsored by UBA, the workshop has as its theme, 'Government/eReadiness Capacity Building Workshop for Commercial Banks'. The event has been organized in collaboration with the Office of National eGovernment Strategies, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, National Information Technology Development Agency and the Bureau of Public Service.
One of the desired outcomes of the workshop is to prepare commercial banks to be 'eNigeria-compliant', especially in their dealings with ministries, departments and agencies of government (MDAs). Participants will be trained on the critical requirements and guidelines for connecting to the eGovernment platform, especially on implementing epayment systems for MDAs on the eNigeria platform.
UBA Executive Director, Electronic & Transaction Banking, Mr. Phillips Oduoza, said that sponsoring the workshop underscores UBA's determination to lead and encourage all sectors of the Nigerian economy, to adopt electronic transactions methods.
Mr. Oduoza said the workshop will assist banks and government institutions in Nigeria to develop convenient, cost-effective and transparent ways of doing business and called on all stakeholders to come together to ensure that Nigeria catches up with the advanced world on electronic transactions and payment solutions.
"The world is going 'virtual' and very soon, all brick-and-mortar business relationship models will give way to electronic methods. Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind. Our hope is that this workshop will be the watershed for change in the way that government business is conducted," Mr. Oduoza said.
Professor C.O. Angaye, the facilitator of the workshop, commended UBA for their foresight and expressed his conviction that the initiative will not only revolutionise business relationships between the government and banks, but will also go on to deliver transparency and due process at various levels of the Nigerian government.
Keynote speakers at the workshop include the CBN Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo and UBA Group Managing Director and CEO , Mr. Tony Elumelu.
Autor(en)/Author(s): Chinyere Okoye
Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 14.05.2007
