The project, e-Government initiative is designed to put the running of government on auto-pilot through the use of modern technologies and make the system crime free. Already, the National Alliance Partners Consultative Forum (NAPCOF) of the National e-Government Strategies (NeGSt), met last week to discuss the strategies and modalities for the implementation and roll out of the e-Government initiative project.
The forum, which comprises ICT companies as well as Banks, reaffirmed its commitment for the roll out date for e-Government initiative project.
Some of the companies like Accelon, Charms, Zinox, Cisco, IBM, Oracle, Microsoft, HP, Kemson, among others also spoke of their readiness for the roll out date.
At the meeting, NeGSt also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with forty local and international technology companies, including leading banks in Nigeria. The technology companies are to provide the infrastructure on which the e-Government initiative project would run.
E-Government is a Federal Government initiative project that is designed to promote efficiency and transparency in governance, as well as to deliver on the socio-economic development priorities of government such as health, education, agriculture, rural development, employment generation, monitoring of government projects and programmes, aimed at eradicating corruption in all government parastatals.
The project is being championed by the National e-Government Strategies Limited, headed by Dr. Felix Obada.
Speaking at the forum, Professor Ode Ojowu, Chairman of NAPCOF, who doubles as the Chief Executive of National Planning Commission (NPC), said e-Government initiative could not have come at a better time than now when the government is waging a determined war against the twin evil of poverty and corruption in the country, explaining that the proper use of e-Government platform is a panacea towards achieving corruption eradication by the President Olusegun led government.
Prof Ojowu, also the Special Adviser to the President on economic matters, reinstated government's commitment to support NeGSt in its roll out plans. According to him, the National Planning Commission has resolved to work closely with NeGSt and NAPCOF.
Explaining the state of readiness of NeGSt, Dr. Obada said most of the solutions for its roll out are ready and that the technology companies who have volunteered to provide technology infrastructure for e-Government initiative, are willing and ready to do so.
President Olusegun Obasanjo in its determination to phase out corruption in the country through transparency in governance, launched NeGSt on March 8, 2004 in Abuja, with the mandate to implement the e-Government project in Nigeria.
Although the government has a hand in it, e-Government is a private sector initiative aimed at creating a win-win situation in a business amalgam that will enable participants deliver the best services and products at record time.
According to Dr. Obada, "One of the unique features of the Nigerian e-Government initiative is the adoption of the PPP model, with the Federal Government of Nigeria on one hand and the private sector, on the other hand. Government is represented by NITDA while the private sector consists of: a consortium of top rated banks, two strategic partners, technology providers and high net-worth individual investors.
Autor: Ken Nwogbo
Quelle: AllAfrica, 28.04.2005
