Government processes are going to be digitalized by NCC and BPSR

The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Dr. Dasuki Arabi, and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on accelerating the digitisation reform process in government.

Danbatta noted that the engagement between the two organizations is compatible with NCC’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP), which calls for partnerships and collaboration with key stakeholders. The occasion took place recently at the NCC’s Head Office in Abuja.

He said that because the MoU accurately covers the responsibilities of enabling policies and implementing institutions, which are essential components of digital transformation, it will increase efficiency and productivity.

Additionally, he stated that the Commission would continue to promote broadband penetration, which serves as the framework for such a process.

He stated, “It is for this reason that suitable provisions were made in the Nigerian National Broadband Plan plan for the deployment of broadband infrastructure throughout the nation. This same infrastructure will power the services that will alter governance and the important services sector of the economy.

At the end of the process, governance will be paperless, according to Danbatta, and chief executive officers will be able to manage their mail without having to sign the majority of documents offline because almost everything would be done online.

Since operating a paperless system of governance or administration at the level of organizations like the Bureau for Public Service Reforms and the Nigerian Communications Commission naturally results in efficiency, he claimed that the transition would be worthwhile.

This Memorandum of Understanding was signed because “We attach a great deal of importance to the way and manner in which we collaborate with sister agencies of government to give translation or to ensure the actualisation of that important item of our Strategic Vision Plan, namely strategic collaboration and partnership.

As a result of NCC becoming the first organization to receive the Platinum Award of BPSR for exceeding expectations in the way it conducts its business, Arabi revealed in his response that the Bureau decided to work with the Commission in advancing reforms for the adoption of emerging technologies.

The Commission was the first government entity to use the BPSR online Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) in 2016, which marks the beginning of this cooperation historically speaking. Interestingly, NCC was the first organization to be given the Platinum Organization rating by the Tool at the conclusion of the evaluation after exceeding all expectations in all good practices based on nine domain areas, according to Dasuki.

Arabi emphasized his argument by saying, “Given the positive outcomes of the workshops and conferences NCC organized in partnership with BPSR on the Distributed Ledger Technologies (the Blockchain) in 2022 in Lagos and Abuja, the MoU is providing a window of opportunity to consolidate efforts to deliver strong and resilient public service that will lead a well-functioning federal system where zero tolerance for corruption is made practicable.

“The MoU will also help in fostering a high degree of cooperation between Federal and State governments in improving service delivery and addressing the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index to significantly improved safe and secured environment that encourages economic growth and investment.”

The socioeconomic development of the nation, according to Arabi, is directly impacted by efforts to increase fair and unrestricted access to government information and services through the Federal Government’s Scorecard for ranking MDA websites.