By Yewande Foluke Bassey
The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy FMoCDE is fostering a pivotal relationship through a triangular cooperation on eGovernment capacity building plan among Nigerian, Korean and Cameroonian Government.
During the opening ceremony of the three-day workshop facilitated by the Korea International Cooperative Agency (KOICA), the Zonal Director of the eGovernment Training Centre (e-GTC), Prof. Suleiman Mohammed, welcomed the KOICA team and the delegates from Cameroon while giving a brief history on the collaborations between Nigeria and KOICA.
Capacity building, according to Prof. Suleiman, has been identified as key ingredient in the successful implementation of the Nigeria eGovernment Masterplan, which led to the establishment of e-GTC under the KOICA.
Prof. Suleiman disclosed that the Centre was handed over to FMoCDE in November 2019 by KOICA after a six-year contract execution period. In December 2019, the FMoCDE inaugurated the governing committee and later the management in July 2020. Due to delay caused by the outbreak of CORONA virus in 2020 the Centre did not commence training until November of the same year.
“The Digital Governance Projects through the KOICA-NIGERIA partnership covered the creation of the eGovernment Master Plan, Capacity Building Program, and the establishment of the eGovernment Training Centre,” said Prof. Suleiman.
He further explained that the centre has adopted a collaborative model in its administration. This he said is based on the belief that eGovernment program is multi-stakeholder and cross cutting in nature. He confirmed that while 1,777 public officers have been trained on eGovernment capacity building in Nigeria, 131 have been trained in Korea since the centre commenced operations a year ago.
In the bid to ensuring the triangular cooperation relationship among the three countries, the KOICA Country Director (Cameroon Office), Mr. Lee Gyuhong, led delegates from four different government establishments in Cameroon namely; the Presidency Office, Ministry of Public Service and Administrative Reform, National School of Administration, and the Magistracy to the workshop.
Mr Lee explained that the workshop is to foster knowledge exchange and experience sharing on eGovernment capacity building between Nigeria and Cameroon through workshops and engagements with key eGovernment stakeholders in Nigeria in order to gain better understanding on the administrative and technological factors that supported the country’s eGovernment implementation, the delivery of Cameroun’s eGovernment project experience, and the conduct of notable field visits to key eGovernment service centres in Abuja, Nigeria.
He added that, in enabling a sustainable development goal to ensure inclusiveness, equitable quality education, and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, KOICA Nigeria has actively championed the delivery of quality basic education through the aid of multimedia tools for better learning outcomes for the Nigerian child.
KOICA-Nigeria program officer, Mr. Kayode Adebisi, while elaborating on the Digital Transformation projects in Nigeria, laid emphasis on the massive Nigerian governmental support received through efficient and transparent service delivery with a citizen centered approach in actualizing a Digital Governance structure in the country.
He noted the impact of Digital Education Projects in Nigeria, saying; “KOICA-Nigeria partnered with Universal Basic Education (KOICA-UBEC) to establish a multi-media model school in Abuja, this was aimed at improving the educational environment of Smart Schools and enhance the quality of public education in Nigeria through the utilization of ICT.”
He closed by adding that the second phase of the digital education project on smart education by KOICA-UBEC is expected to cover six states across Nigeria namely: Kano, Bauchi, Nasarawa, Lagos, Edo, and Anambra States.