By most accounts, all
\nthe facets of human endeavour in the contemporary world are\u00a0driven by Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
\nObservers note that Nigeria is striving to catch up with the trend in order not to be left out in the ICT-based civilisation of the 21st Century.
\nIn demonstration of the country\u2019s determination to adopt global best practices in ICT applications, the Ministry of Communication Technology recently inaugurated a single window website: the Government Service Portal.
\nIt is a website where anyone can have access to all kinds of information about Nigeria, ranging from government to citizens, business and foreign national services.
\nThe inauguration in April was in line with Nigeria\u2019s efforts to join the global initiative of \u201cgetting government online\u2019\u2019 to improve public service delivery to the citizens.
\nFew months after its inauguration, observers have described the website as a veritable channel for the citizens to access timely information about government services.
\nThey noted that the government could, via the website, also get feedback on the citizens\u2019 reactions to various topical issues.
\nThe contents of the portal, which is being managed by the Ministry of Communication Technology, are currently available in three languages \u2014 English, French and Spanish
\nAt the website\u2019s inauguration in Abuja, the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, said that it was just one of the ministry\u2019s projects aimed at stepping up ICT use in the country. According to her, the portal\u2014 www.services.gov.ng \u2013 will also enable the people to have access to information on the services provided by various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
\nShe listed some of the newly-automated processes and services that were already available on the portal as patent and trademark registration, evaluation and accreditation of academic certificates and farmers\u2019 registration.
\nOthers include registration and accreditation of seed companies, seeds\u2019 import and export permits, application for spectrum licence, licensing procedures for class type licence and licensing procedures for individual type licence.
\nJohnson noted that the project was the outcome of a survey which the United Nations (UN) carried out across 48 countries on \u201cInnovative e-Government Practices\u2019\u2019 among nations.
\nTheir finding is that citizen service delivery is topmost on the government innovative technology adoption all over the world.
\nThus, governments\u2019 use of the Internet to deliver government services has revolutionised the speed and effectiveness of government service delivery and public administration across the world.
\nTherefore, governments increasingly recognise that e-government offers not just a new technology but also a mechanism to transform the way government operates; and we can no longer be left behind,\u2019\u2019 she said.
\nHowever, Johnson noted that a number of government services, which were rendered by various MDAs, could now be accessed online via the new website.
\n\u201cWhat we have done is that we developed a single point of entry for Nigerians and other stakeholders to access government services online.
\nWith this website, you can tell from a single point, what is exactly available as to the government services online,\u2019\u2019 she added.
\nThe minister stressed that in addition to creating a single window of entry into government services; the ministry would liaise and work with other ministries to introduce subsidiary online services.
\nThe Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Henry Akpan, said that the portal would promote investments that would enhance the wellbeing of Nigerians.
\n\u201cThe services portal will not only give access to government information, services or processes, but it will also give businesses as well as other stakeholders the means to reach the government. \u201cBy doing so, citizens and businesses will benefit in terms of saving costs, time and efforts, while the government will also gain through service-citizen engagement, feedback and trust,\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nThe Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone Plc., Mr Gerald Ilukwe, said that even though Galaxy was the main ICT service provider for Federal Government establishments; the company was only a key partner in the website project.
\nHe said that his company only functioned as the technology enabler, providing a robust and secure platform through which services could be provided or accessed.
\nHe pledged that the company would continue to work hard to improve the citizens\u2019 confidence in the government service portal by ensuring its smooth operations.
\n\u201cWe will also continue to make significant efforts in terms of building all sorts of software and hardware protection for the website. Galaxy Backbone, with the support of the ministry, the Federal Government and the National Assembly, has been able to make some investments in ICT infrastructure development,\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nNevertheless, Ilukwe underscored the need for separation of roles between the policy\/programme coordinator, the technology provider\/enabler and the online service owner\/provider for the success of the new venture.
\n\u201cSimilar programmes have failed in the past due to confusion and overlapping roles,\u2019\u2019 he added.
\nAll the same, the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko, said that the portal would stimulate the transformation of Nigeria into a country with a conducive business environment.
\nDikko, who was represented by the Deputy Comptroller-General of Customs, Mr Bashar Yusuf, noted that the cost of doing business in Nigeria was hitherto cumbersome, adding that the development accounted for the recent poor economic rating of the country.
\nHowever,\u00a0 the Chairman of the House of Representatives\u2019 committee on ICT, Rep. Shehu Gusau, urged the ministry to collaborate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to sensitise all the Nigerian embassies abroad to the use of the portal to attract investments into the country.
\nThe lawmaker also advised the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to provide Nigerians with hitch-free Internet access to enable them to use the portal, especially in the rural areas.
\nObservers maintain that all things being equal, the Government Service Portal will spur national development, as vital information about government services will be readily available to all and sundry.
\nEmmanuel Olaniruha writes from NAN<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Emmanuel Olaniruha<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By most accounts, all the facets of human endeavour in the contemporary world are\u00a0driven by Information and Communications Technology (ICT). Observers note that Nigeria is striving to catch up with the trend in order not to be left out in the ICT-based civilisation of the 21st Century. In demonstration of the country\u2019s determination to adopt […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-icttelecom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=69752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69752\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=69752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=69752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thetidenewsonline.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=69752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}