Five Nigerian researchers made a big impact at the 17th International Conference on Electronic Governance Theory and Practice (ICEGOV 2024) held in Pretoria, South Africa.
The event, hosted by United Nations University and UNESCO, attracted more than 336 participants from 49 countries and highlighted the global importance of digital governance.
Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, was represented by Kashif Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Authority (NITDA).
Kashif said the researchers’ participation was in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s “New Hope” agenda, which aims to leverage technology to diversify the economy and strengthen governance. emphasized.
The DG emphasized the importance of Nigeria’s representation at the conference, noting that only 85 of the 157 papers submitted were accepted, reflecting the competitive nature of the event.
Mr Kashif said the insights gained from the research could advance President Tinubu’s vision by fostering innovation that is essential to diversifying the economy and improving governance.
The Director-General reiterated NIITDA’s commitment to continue supporting research initiatives and ensuring that Nigeria remains at the forefront of advances in digital governance.
The research presented spans various aspects of digital transformation and collectively aims to strengthen e-government and promote economic growth through technological innovation.
Hassana Asuku’s presentation, “Bridging the Broadband Gap,” addresses the rural digital divide by proposing a comprehensive strategy to improve broadband access. Her multifaceted approach aims to strengthen economic inclusion and citizen participation as the government drives digital growth.
Adeyinka Patrick Adewumi’s research on ‘Digital Competency in the Public Sector’ highlights the challenges posed by low digital skills among civil servants. He proposes a model of targeted training and infrastructure upgrades to accelerate digital transformation.
Dr. Agbari Mohammed’s work on “Scalable Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)” aims to address institutional barriers to deploying effective DPI in Nigeria, strengthen public-private partnerships, and improve regulatory frameworks I am.
Dr. Tanmu Mukhtar Garba’s research on ‘Tax Compliance for Small and Medium Enterprises’ introduces the Taxpoynt platform, designed to simplify tax processes for small and medium enterprises. This progress is extremely important given the important role of small and medium enterprises in the Nigerian economy.
Dr. Salih Dasuki Ibrahim’s research on ‘Civil Liberties in E-Government’ explores how DPI can enhance civil liberties while addressing obstacles such as inadequate ICT infrastructure and data privacy concerns. We are considering.
The contributions of these researchers not only place Nigeria in a leading position in the global debate on digital governance, but also advance the country’s efforts to leverage technology for sustainable economic growth and improved governance. It reflects.
