Public service digitization is one of the goals that Nigeria has set its sights on in line with its digital economy development strategy. All Nigerian States have been working towards achieving that goal, to provide the people access to digital public services.

Edo State has fully digitized its administration, thus becoming the first State to do so in Nigeria. Godwin Obaseki (photo), Governor of Edo, recently broke the news to the State’s Assembly, urging them to follow the movement. 

“Around six million documents have been digitally archived and the aim is for state operations, including interfacing with the public, to be launched and completed online,” said Obaseki.

“In the area of digitization, one of the conversations we'll have with you in a few weeks will be to ask what the legislative arm of this administration is doing in terms of digitizing the legislature. The executive branch is already wrapping up the digitization process,” he added.

The Federal government started the digitization of the Nigerian administration some years ago, and in January 2022, the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, declared that the government had taken steps through the National Policy for a Digital Nigeria to ensure migration to paperless government by 2030.

Edo State, by taking the lead ahead of the country’s other states, hopes to become Nigeria’s digital hub. To this end, the State’s administration has been equipped with over 5,000 computers and fiber-optic connections have been installed in all government offices. It also plans to train its executives in digital skills.

Transitioning to the digital will make Edo’s administration faster, both relative to procedures and decision-making.

Samira Njoya