Stakeholders Harp on Enabling Environment for Telecoms Infrastructure Development, eGovernment Adoption

Emma Okonji

Industry stakeholders have stressed the need for an enabling business environment that will enhance telecoms infrastructure development and boost e-government adoption for effective service delivery to the citizens.
The stakeholders said this at the just concluded Nigeria eGovernment Summit 2025 in Lagos, with the theme: “Public-Private Partnership for Effective eGovernment Service Delivery,” organised by DigiServe Networks Services.
In one of the panel sessions that was chaired by the Lagos State Commissioner, Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Olatubosun Alake, the lead paper presenter, who is the Commissioner, Science and Technology, Cross River State, Dr. Justin Beshel, said the adoption of digital governance for effective service delivery, was no longer optional, but an initiative that has come to define the future of every public service delivery.
According to him, Nigeria’s economic competitiveness depends on strong telecoms infrastructure as the backbone for e-government, adding that e-government adoption is central to building fast, impeccable, transparent and efficient government.
“Telecoms infrastructure enables access to connectivity, digital identity and data interoperability. Nigeria still faces infrastructural gaps, especially in rural broadband penetration, last mile connectivity and affordable internet,” Beshel said.
He identified the barriers to e-government adoption to include: Infrastructure deficit; Policy misalignment; Digital issues; Trust; and Security.
To address the identified issues in Cross River State, Beshel said the state government has engaged in public-private partnerships in the areas of data centres, revenue automation, and cloud services.
He insisted that it would be impossible for government to do it alone and achieve good results, hence the need for public-private partnership and an enabling environment, for effective service delivery to the citizens. He added that the PPP models would allow the private sector to bring in capital and innovation that would enhance governance.
Other panelists that are also commissioners of Science and Technology from other states like Edo, Kogi, Katsina, Gombe and Nasarawa states, who also stressed the need for enabling business environment that will enhance e-government adoption, called on state governments that were yet to implement free Right of Way (RoW) charges in their respective states, to do so without further delay. They called on the federal government to enforce free RoW charges across states, to enable telecoms infrastructure development and expansion.
In another panel session chaired by the Deputy Director, Strategic Business Initiatives at ipNX Nigeria, Mr. Olusegun Okuneye, the panelists focused on building robust digital infrastructure, bridging the access gap to telecoms services and ensuring sustainable energy solutions for e-government deployment.
In his lead paper presentation, the CEO, Elemental Limited, Mr. Akin Thompson, stressed the need to bridge infrastructural gap in telecoms in order to provide telecoms service to the underserved communities in Nigeria.
According to him, underserved areas are regions that have some access, like 2G or 3G technology, but with very epileptic services.
He highlighted the need for a ‘dig-once policy’ in order to protect existing telecoms infrastructure in new construction sites.
Other panelists spoke on the need to protect telecoms infrastructure from vandalism as observed in recent times across the country.
Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by the Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Olatubosun Alake, said: “Public-Private Partnership (PPP) is a necessary and important instrument for the attainment of sustainable economic development. Solutions from Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) will provide more integrated financial design, construction, maintenance, and operational solutions to infrastructure projects in Nigeria. Access to healthcare and other social economic services and products can be accomplished through PPPs. The federal and state governments must provide materials that can facilitate an orderly development of PPPs.”
In his welcome address, the convener of Nigeria eGovernment Summit, Lanre Ajayi, said over the past six editions, DigiServe has built a vibrant platform that fosters trust, transparency, and practical collaboration between public agencies and private innovators.
“We have highlighted practical PPP models, successful procurement pathways, data governance best practices, and the crucial role of cybersecurity and resilience in public digital services,” Ajayi said.