Yemi Keri, managing director, Edo ICT Agency, in this interview with BEN UZOR, talks about the massive strides being recorded by the state in the area of Information Technology (IT) usage. Prior to this Administration, she says service delivery by the Edo State Government was based on manual management of information resulting in poor service delivery. Excerpt:
What is the state of the Edo State Open Data Portal? What are your plans to win the confidence of senior civil servants to appreciate the concept of Open Data Platform?
The portal which was launched as the first sub-national Open Data Portal in Africa on the 12th of September, 2013, functions as a repository of government data for all MDAs. It is strategically geared towards promoting entrepreneurship, research and open innovation partnerships.
This will ultimately translate into jobs and new investments enabling social and economic development. It creates a solid basis for accountability in government. It enables citizens embrace technology to improve lives and effectiveness of government. So far, Edo portal has received over 47,000 page views,visitors from across 129 countries with downloads of over 1439.
Our achievements are not just for the government or the people of Edo State but for all to tap into freely. Hence, our data is licensed under the creative common license that enables the free use and reuse of datasets on the portal.
Edo state seems to be the only government in Nigeria to have implemented a centralised ICT agency system. How has this system improved service delivery in the state and staff welfare?
The centralised system adopted by Federal Government is quite laudable, Edo State implementation of a centralised ICT agency is not to compete with that of the federal but to compliment it. This system has made our assets more secured.
We have an effective use of equipment, supplies and space, and all related data are kept together and this reduces duplication. We have seven departments (Software, Project Management, Training, Verification and Biometrics, Administration, Finance and Accounts and Infrastructure). Edo ICTA has over 800 Staff.
What was the level of IT usage in Edo State public service before you came in as the CIO, and what has changed since your assumption of office?
Prior to this administration, service delivery by the Edo State Government was based on manual management of information resulting in poor service delivery as information required for planning was unavailable, difficult or impossible to store and retrieve.
This has made successive governments non-responsive and its workforce adjudged sluggish and inefficient. Furthermore, manual financial management has encouraged leakages and maladministration of scarce public resources. Sources of income available to the state was limited to the federal revenue allocation of N1.3bn and a meagre N300m Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Of this amount, the government spent over 1.2bn on staff emolument alone.
By simple mathematics, the State had some 400m to provide essential services and developmental projects. In this regard and in view of the fact that in today’s highly competitive world, ICT has become a necessary enabler for effectively and efficiency delivering public services, this Administration is pursuing an e-Government agenda using ICT as the vehicle.
The Edo State Information and Communication Technology Directorate ( now an Agency) was created by the Executive proclamation of the 23rd of January 2009 as a demonstration of the Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s administration to injecting effectiveness and efficiency into governance in Edo State.
In line with the above, the activities of the Agency in the past years include the following: Biometrics of staff working under the Edo State government; Automation of Civil Servants and pensioners’ payroll; Preparation of citizenship identity cards; Establishment of Education management information system (EMIS); Edo State ICT Training for civil servant; Oracle ERP Solution; Edo State official Website and currently building websites for all the ministries; Edo State Information Communication Technology Agency Academy- is committed to the training and education of Technology i.e. we offer training on Asset management, E-government process automation, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), IT security, Basic ICT skills, etc.
Other initiatives include: Edo State ICT CISCO Academy offers training on CCNA, CCNP and other CISCO certifications, Computerisation of Tax Administration in conjunction with the Board of Internal Revenue (BIR), Launch of the State’s Open Data portal, Establishment of a standard Data Centre, Establishment of a GIS department and Integrated Financial management System.
How significant is your status as a state cabinet officer helped in getting political support for your projects?
Being a state cabinet officer saddled with the responsibility to being one of the critical enablers in bringing change gives you the necessary authority the position needs. Of course without that, people will rarely listen to you. So yes, the position is significant.
What is the state of Edo State residents’ biometric registration exercise and what do you want to achieve with it?
Our system and processes has been improved enormously. It is not a wasted effort because it has helped us completely eradicate ghost workers in the state’s workforce system since the implementation of a biometrics system.
We have a comprehensive and updated database of all Government workers in Edo state, aiding us to accurately inform and Retire workers due for Retirement. So, we can periodically promote and employ new staff. Excess revenue realised from this is channelled to other state projects and we can better make well informed decisions with factual data.
Technology cadres in public service in Nigeria do not have required prominence and respect. What is the situation in Edo State and what have you done to change it?
The public service in the Edo State is well respected, the leadership of the state recognised the essentiality of technology in achieving her vision and therefore took the bold step of institutionalising the ICT Agency. The state government has employed suitable graduates who in turn are trained to manage the state’s automated processes.
Also, we have deployed these well trained ICT Personnel to all MDAs who in turn manages the technology aspect in these MDAs. Even the civil servants are being trained at various levels also. So, we have a very functional technology agency in the state that works in collaboration with the public service to ensure a sustainable eGovernment in Edo State.
What are the priorities of your agency in terms of integration of ICT to improve Edo State public service efficiency and its relationship with the citizens (e-governance)?
The agency’s vision is to be the critical enabler for the full delivery of e-governance in Edo State through the interconnectivity of MDAs; enhanced capacity of public servants; and process and systems reformation with a view to achieving qualitative public service delivery.
Thus, the ICT Agency, as a team of highly motivated professionals, we have a priority to be the virile facilitator to inspire responsiveness, effectiveness and efficiency in the Edo State public service. We serve as the pivot for transparency and accountability in the management of available state resources.
BEN UZOR
