Korea Agency Facilitates e-Government program for Nigeria, Rwanda

The Republic of Korea, through its grant aid agency, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCDE), and Galaxy Backbone (GBB), has organized a knowledge exchange program via South-South and Triangular Cooperation on e-Government services.

This collaboration which involves Nigeria, Rwanda, and Republic of Korea, is designed specifically for the Nigerian Government Service Portal (GSP).

The event which held in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, featured study visits and discussions related to policies, strategies, and programs for Rwanda’s digitalization experience.

During the six-day study visit, the Nigerian GSP team embarked on programs aimed at exhanging knowledge and experiences between Nigeria and Rwanda through KOICA, with a specific focus on enhancing e-Government development.

The delegation from Nigeria sought insights from Rwanda’s successful Irembo GSP, which serves as a prime example of GSP deployment.

The project which is fully funded by the Korean Government through grant aid is expected to enhance capacity for further execution of key initiatives of National e-Government Master Plan, strengthen the deployment of government-wide Enterprise Architecture (EA), improve competencies for e-Government service delivery through capacity building programs, expand the delivery of government digital services through the activation of the GSP www.services.gov.ng and create increased access for National Identity Number (NIN) enrolment through the establishment of additional NIN enrolment centers.

During the visit, the GSP team identified key factors that are crucial for successful implementation of effective Government Service Portal.

These factors include having a strong governance structure that enforces policies at the highest level and maintains continuous engagement with stakeholders, including users (citizens and businesses) and service providers (government agencies).

A significant highlight of the study visit was the collaborative workshop involving the Smart Africa Alliance and the Nigerian GSP team.

During the workshop, Prof. Muhammed Bello Abubakar, Managing Director and CEO of Nigeria’s Galaxy Backbone, expressed gratitude to Mr. Minjae Kang, Deputy Country Director of KOICA for their contributions to Nigeria’s e-Government development.

“The success of the GSP hinges on hosting it on a national infrastructure to reach underserved areas and ensure system interoperability among various government agencies in Nigeria,” Prof. Muhammed Bello Abubakar said.

“The insights gained from the study visit in Rwanda will play a pivotal role in strengthening Nigeria’s ongoing digitization efforts, especially as the GSP achieves full functionality,” Prof. Abubakar added.

In his remarks, the Deputy Country Director of KOICA Rwanda, Mr. Kim Kwonho, who represented the Country Director, commended efforts of KOICA in driving a convergence point between Rwanda and Nigeria in the area of digital governance.

Mr. Kim Kwonho, re-echoed the importance of cooperative efforts among different countries through knowledge sharing and exchange programs.

“This study visit was made possible through the facilitation of Rwanda Cooperation in Kigali and Sangmyung University from the Republic of Korea”.

“The activation of Nigeria’s Government Service Portal which is expected to be completed within 18-month is the central focus of this project and development of the portal for efficient delivery of government digital services through a one-stop portal mode,” Mr. Kim Kwonho, stated.

The Nigerian GSP team consisted of representatives from nine government agencies some of whom will contribute their digital services to the GSP once it becomes operational.