Digital government should not be about launching more websites or buying more computers. It should make everyday dealings with the government easier, faster, clearer, and more reliable for citizens and residents.
This proposal is for Ondo State to connect and improve its existing digital systems while ensuring no one is left behind.
What is the problem?
Many people still struggle with Ondo State government processes because they do not know where to get public information, which office handles what service, what documents are needed for a service, what fees they are expected to pay, how long the process should take, whether their applications are moving forward, and where to complain when something goes wrong.
The causes of these are government websites not efficiently developed, which lead nowhere; gateway platforms without reliable process documentation and receipts; or laws and regulations that cannot be found digitally. All of these do not improve governance.
Proper digitalisation can solve these problems, but only if the data people and the process behind government services synergise.
What Ondo State already has.
Ondo State already has some digital foundations. The official government website offers information and services, while SITA has publicised a digital-payment initiative intended to streamline government payments. Recent reports also describe Ondo Pay for personnel, payroll, and pension processes.
These are useful starting points. But inefficient and fragmented digital processes do not prove that services work well for citizens. The first step should be to check what exists, what works, what needs repair, what should be connected, and what should be built.
What is being proposed?
Ondo should build a One Government Digital Gateway.
This means one specialised platform where residents can access public information, engage public services, understand what is required of them, and follow government activities.
Make laws and regulations easier to access and engage.
Citizens should be able to find and understand the laws that affect them.
The House of Assembly should implement efforts to:
- Put current laws in a searchable public repository.
- Publish public-hearing notices and explain how people can participate.
- Provide plain-language summaries of relevant legislative documents.
- Improve internal record-keeping and document retrieval.
Connect government with data safely.
Government MDAs should be able to share information where it is necessary, lawful, and secure. Data sharing must not mean unrestricted access to people’s private information.
The framework should comply with Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 2023 and relevant NDPC requirements.
Leave no one behind.
Not everyone has reliable internet, a smartphone, electricity, or the literacy to use digital services.
So, government should provide:
- Assisted-service points in suitable public facilities.
- Phone and in-person options for important services.
- Mobile-friendly and low-data services.
- Accessible forms for people with disabilities.
- Practical digital literacy training for residents and public workers.
- Offline alternatives for essential services.
Digitalisation should not become a barrier for someone who needs help using it to access public information and services.
Why this matters?
Ondo State does not need to start from zero. It needs to improve existing digital efforts to work better, remain reliable, and serve real people who need its services.
That is what digital government should mean: government that is easier to reach, easier to engage, easier to understand and easier to hold accountable.
What should success look like?
Success should be measured by real improvements, such as the following:
- Fewer unnecessary visits to government offices.
- Faster processing of services.
- Fewer repeated document requests.
- Reliable payments and receipts.
- More people able to find laws and follow legislative actions.
- Better access for rural residents, aged people, and people with disabilities.
- Clear public reporting on what was done and what was achieved.
0 comments
No comments yet. Be the first to weigh in.