Nigerian Government Pledges Support for LGAs Through Smart Solutions Initiative

The Federal Government of Nigeria has pledged its support for Local Government Areas (LGAs) through the Smart Solutions Initiative by deploying innovative technologies to address security challenges, enhance food security, and improve service delivery.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, made this commitment during the November edition of Devs in Government held in Abuja, themed “Innovating Digital Solutions for Improved Local Government Service Delivery.”

This edition brought together technologists from the civil service, along with state and local government representatives, to develop technological solutions to pressing challenges. It featured a co-creation challenge where participants were grouped to represent four LGAs from Kwara, Kogi, and Imo states.

It was great to see the the practical value of #DevsInGovernment come to life as technologists from the civil service worked with State and Local Government representatives to create technology solutions for some of their pressing challenges

The winning presentation today was… pic.twitter.com/4Q7CG8iMYH

— Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani (@bosuntijani) November 14, 2024

The winning presentation was from Group 4 participants, who proposed an application to address insecurity challenges in Local Government Areas (LGAs).

Other solutions included applications leveraging satellite capabilities to track flooding and ensure food security, the collation and utilisation of data on rural farmers and agricultural products, and the use of drones to increase agricultural yield.

This commitment was demonstrated through seed funding of ₦2 million for the challenge winner and ₦1 million each for the other three groups.

While pledging, the Minister stated that the financial seed support is just the beginning, as the Ministry will provide further assistance to LGs that apply these smart solutions to benefit their communities.

“We actually granted them some sort of seed funding. For the winner, we gave ₦2 million, and the other three groups, ₦1 million each. But that’s not the end; this is just a resource they can use to kick-start the process of actually building the solution.

“And we’re going to support them as a Ministry to ensure that those serious about implementing their solutions can impact people in their local communities.

“We’re going to help them build it, but also deploy it as well,” he added.

The Managing Director/Chief Executive of Galaxy Backbone Ltd, Prof Ibrahim Adeyanju, represented by the Executive Director for Customer Centricity and Marketing, Olusegun Olulade, emphasised the agency’s mission to bridge the digital divide and drive inclusive digital access across Nigeria.

According to him, this edition of Devs in Government provided an opportunity to exchange ideas on harnessing technology to transform Local Government operations and improve the accessibility and effectiveness of public services.

“One key initiative advancing this goal is the 774 LG Connectivity Project, spearheaded by Dr Bosun Tijani. This project is designed to bridge the connectivity gap between urban and rural communities, ensuring every part of Nigeria has access to high-speed broadband.

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“Galaxy Backbone, in collaboration with our sister agency NigComSat, is proud to support this vital effort. We are making strides in the phased rollout of this project, and I’m pleased to report that six strategic sites have already been connected across the FCT, Zamfara, and Kwara states.

“The infrastructure we’re establishing today lays the groundwork for future digital services that can significantly uplift local communities,” he added.

The Managing Director of NigComSat, Mrs Jane Egerton-Idehen, represented by the Executive Director for Technical Services, Abiodun Attah, reiterated the agency’s commitment to collaborating with Galaxy Backbone Ltd to provide internet connectivity to remote areas, particularly underserved and unserved populations.

“Collaboration with Local Government Areas ensures sustainable processes beyond the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) project. Our team is actively exploring other ways to support the 774 LGs in generating revenue from the services we provide beyond the one-year period.”

The Chairman of Ikesuru LGA in Imo State, Mr Justice Nze, whose group won the co-create challenge with a smart solution to tackle insecurity, applauded the Minister, Dr Bosun Tijani, for his commitment to a digital Nigeria.

He also thanked the Minister for the seed funding and pledged to utilise it effectively.

“I thank the Minister because he has provided ₦2 million as seed funding to address insecurity in my Local Government. I assure him that I shall use the money, as he has said, to address the immediate needs of the Local Government in the area of security.

“It shall be expanded to other communities, Local Governments, and even states where insecurity is prevalent in this country.”

Similarly, Mr Innocent Korie of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), a member of the winning group, explained their solution.

“We suggested effective co-location. It’s possible to build an app specifically for security purposes that will help both the Vigilante group and the community to provide real-time incident reports.

“We talked about an eyewitness reporting feature that would allow the community to report issues via the app, enabling security personnel to act swiftly. Co-location eliminates the cost of building infrastructure,” he added.