Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, has charged the community of technologists and tech enthusiasts in Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government to deepen the concept of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) as a catalyst for transforming the Nigerian Civil Service into a world class institution and also improving government’s services to the people.
According to a release endorsed by Ekaete Umo, head, Press & Public Relations at the Ministry, the Minister stated this while delivering his keynote address during the inaugural event of DevsInGovernment, a community of technology enthusiasts within the Civil Service who are actively contributing to, and leading digital transformation across all government institutions towards strengthening digitalisation for improved service delivery to the populace.
“The Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy acknowledges the significant role that technology plays in transforming Civil Service into a high-performing, efficient and citizen-centred institution.
“The need to transform government services is the foundation to prosperity and the enabler to Nigeria’s progression towards the building of other digital capabilities in government,” The Minister stated.
According to him, the mandate of this government is to popularise the concept of digital public infrastructure in the system by promoting the use of technology so as to effectively deliver government services.
He itemised the limitless opportunities inherent in the application of DPI as it will empower civil servants to carry out tasks more robustly.
The Minister clarified that “DPI is not about centralising all our solutions, but it is how to promote the use of technology in government services through an effective system and infrastructure for optimal delivery”.
Dr. Tijani said digitalisation is not just about e-Government, neither is it just automating the system, but it is the ability to use technology to transform services with good deliverables.
He told the over 400 participants at the inaugural event that the essence of setting up the DevsInGovernment platform is to share ideas that will change Nigeria and make it a better country. He also said Nigerians are extremely fortunate to be led by a President who has deep power of technology to transform the nation.
Dr. Tijani therefore assured that the Ministry is committed to empowering and driving collaboration among technologists for the purpose of knowledge sharing and innovation which will ultimately lead to a more efficient, transparent, and responsive government.
It is in this regard that he said conversations on this novel initiative will be holding monthly and subsequently there will be provision for trainings to enhance productivity.
The Minister thanked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Galaxy Backbone (GBB) as co-sponsors of the new initiative and the cooperation of other sister agencies under the watch of the ministry.
Speaking at the event, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, , the permanent secretary in the Ministry, harped on the need to have in place an enabling environment, a regulatory framework, infrastructure, computing power devices and skilled manpower to achieve a desired development.
He stated that he believes that sharing of ideas is critical to the operationalisation of DPI to enhance the delivery of government services.
In his opening address of welcome, Abdul-Malik Suleiman, the acting managing director/CEO of Galaxy Backbone, said digital transformation is at the heart of this government and that explained why the President has appointed a young and dynamic Minister to steer the affairs of the digital sector.
He said the purpose of bringing technologists together is to deepen their intellectual capability as drivers of the system.
He further stressed that DevsInGovernment provides a platform for professionals in the civil service to be drivers of the technology in the 21st century, and also to go through different stages of learning in order to create a transformative public service that will in the long run give birth to a prosperous Nigeria.
Present at the event were the Permanent Secretary, heads of agencies and technologists in civil service drawn from the various MDAs.
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