Obaseki to Make Edo First Fully e-Governed State in Nigeria

•Trains over 3000 workers on inclusive digital transformation

•Governor has set new benchmark for public procurement in Nigeria, says Idogun

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has said the ongoing digital transformation programmes in the state would make the state fully e-governed before September 1st, 2023.

This, would make Edo emerge as the first state in the country to have entirely shifted to a digital mode of administration.

The governor said this while declaring open a one-week digital transformation training programme for over 3000 workers in the State, at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy, in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

Obaseki, represented by the Edo State Head of Service, Anthony Okungbowa, said the state was the most digitised in the country.

He noted that the government was working assiduously to ensure the delivery of all government services was digitised, transparent and seamless.

The governor said, “Over the next few weeks, we would be having 3,000 personnel in the civil/public service trained on the use of computers. We all know that without the knowledge of computers, it is impossible to work on the edogov platform.

“The governor has instructed that before September 1st, 2023, Edo State would become completely an e-governance State as no State in the Federation has been able to achieve half of what we have achieved.

“All these are to ensure that we succeed as we move to become the digital hub of Nigeria. We hope that all of us in this training today will contribute to that success.”

He continued: “The target is to 3,000 workers. The training will last for nine weeks. The objective is to ensure that all civil/public servants are trained on all that is required to make Edo State a digital State.

“We want to be the digital hub of this Country and as such the governor is investing massively in digitalization. The government is opening the digital space which is why we have a contract to extend fiber optic cables across the State to enable people to have access to the internet and expose their skills.

“Recently, the governor launched the digital policy to put the State in the forefront of digital technology and enable the State to have a sense of direction to help achieve a defined and definite result.”

The governor further noted, “In the executive side of government, we have 10,050 staff but across the service, we have almost 38,000 people. The training is for the directors’ cadre. Every person with a deficiency in computer appreciation will get the training.

“The final output of this training is to see workers more proficient in the use and appreciation of the computer to enable them work effectively with the edogov platform.”

One of the participants and civil servants, Mrs. Emilia Ayeni, commended the Obaseki-led administration for embracing digital technology and ensuring that all civil /public servants are computer literate to enable them to contribute their quota to the State’s digital economy.

Meanwhile, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Edo State Public Procurement Agency (EDPPA), Henry Imogiemhe Idogun, has attributed the achievements in public procurement in the state to the visionary leadership of Obaseki, noting that the governor has set a new benchmark for accountability and transparency in public procurement in the country.

Speaking to journalists in Benin City, Idogun said Edo State has in the past six years, witnessed a paradigm shift in the way public procurement is conducted, elevating the state’s procurement system and processes to unprecedented levels of efficiency, fairness and compliance.

According to him, Edo has become a model for other sub-nationals and countries since implementing landmark reforms by Obaseki to instill transparency and probity in its procurement processes as not less than 19 Nigerian States and two countries have visited the State to understudy the transformational changes.

The Managing Director noted: “The governor’s support is the reason why we are able to achieve so much in public procurement in Edo State. Sometimes, they take a file to him and he asks if it has gone through procurement.

“He asks questions when he is not sure when he is not seeing evidence in the file. Sometimes he approves, and writes, ‘subject to the procurement process.”

Idogun stated, “I have always and I will continue to thank His Excellency, the Governor for his leadership.  I will always remain loyal to the governor because of what he represents; his vision for Edo State.

“So, we will continue to do our best in support of his MEGA Agenda. Nobody was in Edo State between 8 and 10 years ago and will say Edo is not making progress. That person is not being sincere with himself.”

“Under this Governor, Edo has made tremendous progress. Is it in human capital development, which is imperative for proficiency? Is it the infrastructure? The way he is, he is not somebody that wants to be loud otherwise we would have filled everywhere singing our praises. Some of us are unrepentantly loyal to his vision for a better Edo State and we have no apology for that.”