The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has said the ministry approved the training of Kano State Executive Council members to provide the state policy makers an opportunity to build their capacity on e-governance and digital transformation.
He made this known at the opening ceremony of the capacity building program on e-governance and digital transformation for members of the state executive, saying the program which followed a courtesy visit on him by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State to seek the ministry’s collaboration marked a significant milestone in the efforts to promote sustainable digital transformation across the country.
He said the program organized by a parastatal under the ministry, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), would position the state to develop a strong digital economy, which would have a transformational impact on the state and entire nation at large.
“In light of global trends in the delivery of government services which is increasingly being characterized by the digitization of processes, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy developed the Nigerian E-government Master Plan (NEGMP) with the vision ‘to create a world class, open and digitized government that connects with people to drive efficiency in public administration, responsiveness of civil services and transparency in governance leading to improvement of the quality of life of Nigerians’.
“This is in line with the ministry’s mandate to ‘utilize ICT to drive transparency in governance and improve the quality and cost effectiveness of public service delivery in Nigeria’.
“The plan was developed with specific strategies that will improve the quality of citizens’ lives by enhancing national competitiveness, facilitating market economy, promoting participatory democracy, and improving transparency in the public sector.
“These strategies include the expansion of the number of public sector personnel trained on e-government and the publicizing of e-government initiatives at the federal and state levels. Various capacity building programs have therefore been developed to aid the attainment of the goal of Nigeria’s Digital Transformation Agenda
“The National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) was developed and launched in 2019 to reposition the Nigerian economy in order to take advantage of the many opportunities that digital technologies provide. This is in line with the vision of Mr. President to diversify the economy of Nigeria away from the dependence on the oil and gas sector,” he added.
Pantami said the NEGMP and NDEPS were carefully designed for the acceleration of the digital transformation agenda towards the desired economic growth and the positioning of the country as a major competitor in the global economy.
The minister averred that the Kano State government had taken the right step in keying into Federal Government’s vision of transforming the country into a leading digital economy, providing quality life and digital economies for all.
“We are also very glad to hear that the state government plans to invest in fibre optics. Together we can create wealth and prosperity for the state and for our nation,” he added.
He also revealed government’s plan to donate 110 special tablets for the proper take off of e-governance in the state.
Earlier, Ganduje thanked the ministry for the initiative, pointing out that ICT remains a critical element in governance, even as he expressed his administration’s commitment to promoting its development in the state.
In his remarks, the NITDA director-general, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, stated that the programme was a milestone on the state’s digital economy journey, stressing a lot could be achieved together with the state, especially in the area of e-governance and digital transformation
