By Emeka Aginam

The Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu  has disclosed that the full implementation of the e-government master plan 2020 will soon begin once stakeholders’ inputs are incorporated into the policy document.

Mr. Abdur-Raheen Adebayo Shittu

This development is expected to see all government activities by Ministry, Department and Agencies (MDAs) delivered electronically.

The Minister who disclosed this during a stakeholders’ engagement workshop on “e-government master plan 2020” held in Abuja last week said that the the master plan is envisaged as a tidy roadmap for integrating governance in Nigeria, into the post-modern global Information and Communication Technology (ICT) age for the purpose of matchless efficiency, accountability and transparency, “which as experience in the developed world has proven, is the exclusive reserve of the carriage of governance on the ICT platform of modern technology.”

According to him, e-government master plan 2020 developed by the ministry is also designed as an essential blueprint of modalities and protocols for the adoption of e-Government best practices, across board, by all federal MDAs.

Shittu said that the policy document is in line with the current ‘change’ mantra of the current administration.

“In the light of the positive ‘Change’ mandate and policy thrust of this administration, therefore, we as e-Government Stakeholders have our work in this Workshop cut-out for us.

“To put it clearly, we as stakeholders in this crucial area must see ourselves as essential co-workers with the administration in the task of empowering the administration and its workforce with one of the most potent tools for it to deliver the promised positive ‘Change’ to our great country.

“Positive national ‘Change’ in today’s ICT-driven world is virtually impossible without competence and efficiency in e-Governance. The benefits of speed, propriety, best-option, transparency, accountability and mass-participation in Government available only via the e-Government framework and platform make it a sine qua non for meaningful and sustainable political and socio-economic growth and development.

“Therefore, we stakeholders are here gathered in this Workshop today to familiarize ourselves sufficiently with the e-Government Master Plan 2020 so as to help analyze and perfect it with practical ideas and suggestions.”, he explained. The minister noted that the workshop would go a long way in reinforcing the e-government master plan 2020 with improved awareness and expert finishing touches that will lead to the best plan possible for marrying governance in Nigeria with ICT.

“With technology evolving at an exponential pace, and with its relentless self-integration into various facets of our daily and national life, it is vital that governance, the most important aspect of national life, must not be left behind.”, he said.

He hoped that with the policy implementation, the country would have become IT capable country in the next five years.

“By 2020 and beyond, government, at the click of computer buttons, should be able to accurately monitor in real-time the amount of crude oil and gas that is being taken-out of Nigeria every day.

“By 2020 and beyond, government should be able to pay pensions electronically to pensioners without their having to stand endlessly in queues. The list goes on and on.”, the Minister