GOVERNOR ARCH MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO e-Vision

Governments all over the world are transforming themselves into an e-Governments to meet the challenges of the 21st century.  E-Government is the comprehensive application of Information and Information Technology (I&IT) to the workings of government to serve the public more effectively.  For an effective e-Government, the following four key elements need to be implemented:

• using a variety of electronic channels for direct service delivery ( called electronic service delivery, or ESD)
• streamlining and automating internal decision-making and program delivery processes
• transforming large public sector systems such as health, justice, resource management, transportation and education
• facilitating two-way citizen engagement or "digital democracy"

NAMADI eGOV STRATEGY for KADUNA STATE

NAMADI ICT4D (Information Communication Technology for Development Action Plan) is an e-Government Strategy setting up a suitable action plan, a roadmap for better integration of all sectors aimed at bridging the digital divide and application of ICT to the workings of government to serve the public more efficiently and transparently. The thrust is to provide a compass with which the state could leapfrog its socio-economic and political structures using ICTs as has been the case with India and so many other countries. The Action Plan will also be anchored on achieving the Eleven Point Agenda of Governor Namadi Sambo in Kaduna state while supporting the Seven Point Agenda of President Musa Yar’adua linked and integrated with Vision 2020. Namadi ICT Strategic Plan of Action will cover the various sectors of the economy in the short, medium and long term implementation. The idea is to set out a time-sensitive action plan with realistic targets and benchmarks for sectoral applications of ICT and broadband internet environment for Kaduna state.

Best reason for e-Gov in Kaduna state

e-Government has many dimensions. It is about:

• transforming internal management and administrative processes.  It is also about providing the information and tools to support policy-making, planning, monitoring and evaluation.

• using a variety of electronic channels to deliver customer-centred services where, when and how people want them – including connecting different programs, different organizations and different governments to meet demands for integrated services.
• transforming the relationship of government with its partners.  The aim is to get better results by changing how business is done across ministries and with agencies, the broader public sector, other levels of government and the private sector, for example suppliers and delivery partners.
• new information links that drive fundamental shifts in the way major public-sector systems such as health, justice, education, transportation and resource management are managed and deliver services.  In the justice system, for instance, an information network is being developed to link courts, lawyers, police and other participants so the system as a whole can deliver more convenient services and better protect public safety.
• citizen engagement or “digital democracy”.  It increases two-way communication between citizens and government and expands public involvement in governance though more convenient, ready access to information and the policy-making process.
• supporting e-Business by leading by example, enabling businesses to obtain services from and deal with government electronically, and improving the quality and efficiency of public services.  All this gives businesses a competitive edge in the global digital economy.

Why e-Government in Kaduna state?

Kaduna state has started the initiative. There are six compelling reasons why Kaduna state should move forward with e-Government:

• First and foremost is the public and business expectation for quality, simple, accessible and responsive government programs and services.  The digital age has brought with it not only a public expectation of good service, but an expectation of quality service when people want it, where they want it, and how they want it.  The public demands a convenient choice of access channels to programs from different ministries and to services from different levels of government.

• E-Government provides new information tools for measuring results and holding government accountable, thereby increasing public confidence in the institutions of government and the democratic process.
• Under e-Government managers and staff will have easier access to information to help them measure and evaluate results and make sound decisions.  E-Government will also make the governing process more transparent.  Citizen access to information will improve, enabling the public to directly assess how government is doing.  Clients will know who is accountable for what, and performance of both government officials and private-sector suppliers will be more readily gauged.

• E-Government will give taxpayers the best value for money from the public service – lending further impetus to the evolution of e-Government.
• With better feedback on results, e-Government will be better equipped to adjust its plans and policies to improve outcomes. 

• Prosperity and quality of life in any given society depend heavily on public-sector systems that reach beyond the provincial government – such as health, justice, education, social services, transportation and resource management.
• To produce the best outcomes for the public, public-sector systems must apply information and information technology to enhance system management.
• The availability of high quality information across a whole sector is a powerful driving force for working together in new ways to improve service to the public.

• Government’s appeal to investors and business partners rests in part on the effective, reliable and accessible delivery of services to business, such as quick and easy processes for starting up an enterprise.
• Keeping up with the private sector’s use of technology, e-Government will ensure that dealing with government does not become a bottleneck in the progress of e-Business.
• By sustaining a high quality of life through the application of digital technology to public services, e-Government will produce a more powerful magnet for investors.
• The result is a stronger economy that will attract and keep high-value-added jobs for the people.

• Government has no choice but to meet rising public expectations if it is to remain a relevant presence in the society.
• If the government does not provide expected services online, other sources will emerge to deliver what people need.

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