Prospects of E-Government Implementation in Nigeria
Robert O. Dode
Department of Political Science and Public Administration, University Of Uyo
P.O. Box 4262, Uyo, Nigeria
robertdode@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
E-governance is a democratic practice that is gradually gaining
universal acceptance and applicability. It refers to a governmental
type aimed at achieving effective service delivery from
government to citizens, moving governance from traditionalist
bureaucratization to modernist participatory administration. This
paper is situated within the global experience, where many
countries have advanced in their practice of e-governance and
Nigeria, as a nation cannot relish in the disadvantages of being left
behind in a globalizing world. We strongly propose that there is a
significant relationship between a country’s technological,
political and bureaucratic advancement and a successful e-
governance practice. This paper argues that with the present poor
state of social infrastructure (especially power supply and road
network) in Nigeria, the practice of e-governance is most likely to
be negatively impacted upon. On this note, our paper recommends
a re-assessment of the country’s state of e-governance
preparedness. It recommends the application of proactive steps
aimed at ensuring the adequate supply of electricity and the
development of human resource capabilities of the populace with
the aim of achieving high-level computer literacy. The interval
convocation of stakeholders at Abuja for talk-shops is not
enough. Rather, Internet facilities and services must of necessity
be made easily accessible at the lowest cost, to all Nigerians,
irrespective of how remote their locations in the country may
be. The world is on the move and Nigeria is an integral part of it,
hence, should not lag behind.
Categories and Subject Descriptors
D.3.3 [Programming Languages]
Keywords
E-Governance, Globalizing World, Computer Literacy, Internet
Users, Public Servants
1. INTRODUCTION
The concept, e-government has been subjected to a number of
definitions. These definitions to a large extent tend to explain the
deliberate attempts by governments through policy and practice,
to bring government closer to the citizens. This is with a view to
achieving efficient and effective service delivery. It involves a
process of transforming government, to become more citizen–
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centered. Hence, Yusuf [6] declares: “e-government is the use of
Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to
transform government by making it more successful, effective and
accountable”. The World Bank on its part sees e-government as
“the use by government agencies of information technologies
(such as wide area network, and mobile computing) that have the
ability to transform relations with citizens, business and other
arms of government”.
To buttress the importance and fast spreading nature of this
practice, Abernethy, et al [1] has declared: Governments around
the world are embracing electronic government. In every region of
the globe - from developing countries to industrialized ones -
national and local governments are putting critical information on
line, automating once cumbersome processes and interacting
electronically with their citizens. We pause here to propose a
question which states that, is Nigeria among those countries that
are embracing electronic government?
E-government (electronic government) thus implies the general
application of the tools and techniques of e-commerce (electronic
commerce) to the business of government for the benefit of both
the government and the citizens it serves. Yusuf [6] identified the
following four main phases in the development of e-government:
i) Publish: This stage involves using ICT to expand access to
government information. Here, governments would generate huge
volumes of information, much of which is potentially useful to
individuals and businesses. Such information is made available
through the Internet. However at this stage, there would be no
form of interaction with users, who are simply allowed to navigate
through the websites to find the information they require. This
phase is recommended for solving a number of problems
presently bedeviling Nigeria, like the Niger Delta crisis, among
others. Investigations in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria shows
that very little information about government and the oil
companies is made available to the citizens. Hence, they rely most
on rumors and exaggerated sources of information. Such
misinformation has given rise to avoidable suspicions, which have
impacted negatively on the mindset of the citizens, thus giving
way to the present state of insecurity in the Niger Delta region.
The problem identified above is made worse by the fact that most
government documents are classified as “top secret”. Meanwhile,
citizens need as much information about the governments as
possible. This will enable them understand better, the reasons
behind the making of public policies. The “freedom of
information bill” proposed for the country since 1999 was passed
into law in the last months of Nigeria’s Fifth National Assembly,
but did not receive the mandatory presidential accent to transform
it into a full fledge law in Nigeria. Thus, the people are deprived
access to needed information about government and its agencies.
Presently in Nigeria, very few uncoordinated government
websites exist in the Internet for Nigerians to navigate and gain
necessary information. These websites include those of JAMB,
NECO, Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigeria Immigration
Service and SERVICOM, among others.
This, as noted above, constitutes an avenue through which
misgivings about the workings of government are nursed, and has
led to suspicions, blood letting and numerous crises.
ii) Interact: This stage involves the broadening of civic
participation in government. This is achieved through the
introduction of two-ways communication between users and the
government. This interact stage starts with basic functions like
email contact information for government officials or feedback
forms that allow users provide constructive feedback. This level
also includes the use of more sophisticated web pages, which are
dynamically created.
iii) Transact: Government services are actually made available
on line at this stage. While users interact with the government,
there is also room for them to carry out “transactions” which
achieve specific goals. These transactions include financial
(paying tax or receiving a fund) and non-financial (submitting a
tax return) aspects. Analysts insist that at this stage, security,
reliability and data integrity have to be guaranteed, to ensure
sophistication and stability of the system.
iv) Integrate: This phase involves the organization of government
services around the “virtual organization”, thus providing a single
point of interaction. Yusuf [6] stresses the point that the
government and its associated services are no longer simply
disparate. That the medium becomes intrinsic to the way of doing
business and governments may re-structure them around the new
“virtual” organization.
On the other hand, Ojo [4] has attempted a distinction between e-
government and e-governance. He refers to the latter as the use of
information and communication technologies to transform and
support the processes and structures of a political system.
2. THE PROSPECTS OF E-GOVERNANCE
IMPLEMENTATION IN NIGERIA
From the above illustrations and data from countries that are fully
e-governance compliant, it is a truism that the practice introduces
positive changes into the day-to-day management of government
business. Examples of such practicing countries that have
recorded tremendous progress are Denmark, the United States of
America, Singapore and the United Kingdom. These countries
have through e-governance, brought changes in different
government transaction sectors like licensing, permits, tax returns,
government procurement, tourism promotion, medical claims,
budget process, grants administration and education support.
Others are procurement management, financial management,
registration of citizens, human resources management, directory
services, public information (records), and benefits management.
Through this process for instance, citizens get to know about new
jobs, place to live, available medical facilities, further education
and birth registration.
Ojo and Estevez [4] thus talk about governance as depicting a set
of processes, formal and informal through which social action
occurs. Government here refers to a collection of institutions that
act with authority and concrete formal obligations. With this,
governments can get their work done transparently and efficiently,
as has been the case in the private sectors of the Nigerian
381
economy since 1999 when a number of reform projects were
injected into some sectors of the economy.
It is within this purview that we situated our study problem. How
prepared is Nigeria for a full practice of e-governance? With the
poor state of accompanying infrastructure available in the country,
is the government only paying lip service to e-governance
practice? In the face of the usual bureaucratic resistance to
administrative changes, what are the chances of survival of this
practice in government ministries, departments and parastatals?
E-governance has indeed been identified as a positive innovation
in the act of managing the state. However, energy and computer
experts in Nigeria argue that with the present state of
infrastructure in the country, e-governance cannot be practiced
effectively in the nearest future. Such pessimistic view is
supported by the fact that electricity generation and supply in the
country is unreliable. Apart from Abuja, the Federal Capital
Territory, where electric power supply from Power Holdings
Company of Nigeria (PHCN) is guaranteed for many hours in a
day, the picture is the opposite in other parts of the country, worst
hit being the Southern parts of Nigeria. Most of the rural areas are
not connected to the national grid; hence, such places record a
“no-light situation”. We must be reminded that the primary tools
of our subject matter are computers and the Internet, which are
powered by electricity.
One other major problem, which the introduction of e-governance
in Nigeria will encounter, is that which has to do with very low
percentage of citizens that are ICT compliant or literate. By this,
we mean the percentage of Nigerians who are not only computer
literate but are regular users of the Internet. This problem is so
pervasive that many Nigerians who possess degrees in different
fields do not know how to use the computer in addition to the
majority of the population that are already illiterates. In the 21st
century Nigeria, access to the Internet is treated as a status symbol
available to the few that can afford its cost of installation and
servicing. Others have to patronize cyber cafes to do their
transactions, in the big cities. These services, we must note, do not
come cheap to their users.
The implication of this reality is that e-governance facilities and
services through the email will only be enjoyed by urban-
dwellers, thus, leaving out the rural dwellers from its
practice. Majority of the Nigerian population (put at 143 million)
dwell in the rural areas of the country. If the majority in a state is
sidelined from a national policy, then such a practice is bound to
record a high rate of failure.
The Federal and some State Governments have attempted to
proffer solutions to the above stated problems, unfortunately these
to a large extent amount to temporary solutions. This involves the
equipping of boats and buses with Internet facilities that are made
to tour the rural areas. A state like Akwa Ibom, launched the
second phase of this program in March, 2007, through the
Ministry of Science and Technology. The question is, how far and
how often can these two buses go to the remote areas? Available
evidence on the ground shows that some of these state policies are
politically motivated and may not stand the test of time. By this
we mean a practice prevalent in the system, where government
officials, devise schemes through which state projects are lunched
with huge public funds, only to end up as conduits through which
they divert majority of such funds to their private accounts
abroad. Soon after such programmes are launched publicly, the
equipments and site are abandoned, locked up and allowed to rot
away. Investigations have shown that by the end of October 2007,
the Akwa Ibom State Internet launch we referred to above had
already gone comatose. A new government is in place and
majority of the projects initiated by the former have been
abandoned. This practice contrasts with Southern African
countries, like Mozambique where farmers in the rural areas get to
find international markets for their farm products like bananas
export and other services, through the Internet services accessible
from their homes, among other transactions. Another factor about
the Nigerian case is that with the record of showcasing the highest
levels of poverty in the world where majority of citizens live on
less than $1 per day, the people will be more concerned about
how to get the next meal ready on their family tables than going to
chat away their time with government officials on how to improve
upon government policies. This apathy is already compounded by
the fact that in Nigeria, the people’s votes hardly count.
The e-governance practice is bound to meet with strong
opposition from the bureaucratic quarters of the polity. By this,
we mean the over bloated public service whose members will
analyze this practice as a deliberate attempt by the government to
throw majority of their members out of their jobs. Majority of the
public servants are thus, likely to use their positions to frustrate
the effective application of e-governance in Nigeria. They will
definitely dislike a system that will reduce to the minimum, face
to face contact between citizens and government service
providers. It is also a reality that majority of these public servants
are not computer literate and may not be interested in acquiring
the needed skills at their various duty post. Experience at the
various public offices like tax, VAT, immigration, customs, road
safety and NNPC; have shown that these public officials engage
in sharp practices on a daily basis with the citizens that go to them
for one service or the other. Some of these offices serve as the
arrow heads of corrupt practices in Nigeria and the beneficiaries
are likely to resist and frustrate a new form of government-
citizens transactions that will put an end to such illegal conducts.
They would prefer the current system that makes face-to-face
contact between citizens and government officials compulsory
from the beginning to the end of such transactions.
3. CONCLUSIONS
This work started by looking at the concept and practice of e-
government and e-governance in the world. We then delved into
the Nigerian situation by asking a number of questions relating to
its state of readiness for this global trend and practice. Our
analysis came to the fore that Nigeria faces a lot of infrastructures,
social and human problems, which if not properly tackled, may
make the practice of e-governance a very difficult task.
Daunting as the identified problems in Nigeria may appear, the
country seem to have no option than to embrace and make the
environment ready for the practice of e-governance. Cases like
Singapore and Macau have succeeded greatly in this angle and
their citizens are reaping the accruing results. The world is now a
“global village” and only “wired” countries will be relevant in the
scheme of international politics and commerce.
It is true that e-governance supports democratic stability by
improving on government policies; increase citizens’ trust,
increase government accountability and transparency. It also
accommodates the “public will” in this information-driven age
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and effectively involves stakeholders, including NGOs, business
and interested citizens in new ways of meeting public challenges.
To succeed in launching into this practice, we recommend that the
full practice of democracy with all the freedoms that go with it be
encouraged in the country. Governments at various levels in the
country could be assisted by international non-governmental
agencies to find a lasting solution to power outages in the country,
thus providing stable electricity power supply to the masses. For
the hinterlands that are not yet hooked on to the national grid, in
the interim, solar panels could be acquired for installation in
strategic locations in chosen local government areas of the
federation. This will be used to generate electricity to power ICT,
Internet and other equipment necessary for e-government practice.
Closely related to this, is the need for the federal government and
agencies concerned to declare a state of emergency on the
Nigerian roads; local and high ways.
The various levels of government and the bureaucracy should be
encouraged to embrace the practice. Here, the government has a
key role to play through the passage of necessary legislations that
will give legal backing to the practice. Presently, very little has
been achieved in this area because the much that seem to exist are
institution-to-institution relationships. National portals do not yet
exist, but are necessary to help cut down on duplication of
functions and easy access to relevant information.
The practical teaching and impartation of computer knowledge
should be encouraged from the primary to the tertiary levels of
education, irrespective of the course of study. This will require a
total re-designing of the curriculum and syllabus of the various
academic institutions in the country. Such schools should also be
equipped with functional computers and teachers for practical.
Organizations that can provide the Internet services to all
Nigerians at the minimum costs should be encouraged to come
in. This has been achieved in the telecommunication sector and is
likely to produce the same results if experimented in this
area. This calls for public-private initiatives and partnerships. This
will serve as a boost for citizens to get interested and involved in
the entire e-government program.
Public servants should not only be trained to acquire ICT skills,
but should be carried along in the various stages of the reforms.
This recommendation should go in tandem with the policy of staff
rationalization in the public sector of the economy. With this
policy initiative, only citizens with requisite qualification and
competence are likely to retain public sector jobs. The political
class should be willing to embrace and practice the principles of
transparency and anti-corruption, for sustainable development.
Funds that would have been corruptly diverted by public officers
can be meaningfully injected into the economy to encourage
massive job provision and empowerments of the unemployed to
enable them establish small and medium scale businesses.
4. REFERENCES
[1] Abernethy, R.J. et al. The Working Group on E-government
in the Developing World. Roadmap for E-government in the
Developing World. Los Angeles: Pacific Council on
International Policy. www.pacficcmunul.org, April 2002.
[2] Agunloye, O. “Implementing the Nigeria eGovt
Programme” Paper presented at Abuja: UNeGov.net
Workshop on e-Governance, July 2006.
[3] Clift, S. E-Democracy, E-Governance and Public Net-Work.
http//www.publicus.net/, 2003.
[4] Ojo, A. and Estevez, E. Strategic Planning for Electronic
Governance. United Nations University - International
Institute for Software Technology, 2006.
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[5] The eGovernment Handbook for Developing Countries.
InfoDev and the Center for Democracy and Technology,
November 2002.
[6] Yusuf, O. Solutions for e-Government Development in
Nigeria. Accenture EIU Government Research, 2006.