The Nigerian government is launching a new, uniform website design project as part of a major digital transformation initiative to increase citizen trust and interaction.
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The Minister for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this at a two-day workshop on the co-creation of the Nigeria Web Design Standards (NWDS) Project for Public Institutions.
The workshop was organised by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and funded by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation.
This initiative is all about creating a unified, user-friendly, and accessible online experience for all Nigerian government websites. The workshop brought together digital experts, designers, and public sector leaders to co-develop clear, user-friendly standards for government websites.
Dr Tijani underscored the importance of technology in bridging the trust deficit between government and citizens. He noted that standardised, technology-enabled channels can improve service delivery and increase trust.
”We all know that there’s a strong challenge of trust deficit globally, and that trust is tied to one major thing: the desire by people for their government to serve them better,” he stated.
“That’s the main reason. But what we’ve seen over the years is that there’s a strong platform and pathway to being able to serve people better, and that’s technology.”
”So when we talk about technology, many people don’t actually understand its depth and importance.”
”Technology is the pathway for raising the level of productivity… It’s not just a tool that is good to have. It’s a tool that is the pathway for serving people better.”
Speaking on the critical importance of this initiative, he stressed that the effort extends beyond mere aesthetics. “It’s not just about websites; it’s the entire way in which we use technology,” Dr Tijani stated.
He pointed to global examples, noting, “If you doubt whether this is important or not, look at some of the best countries in the world where the level of trust between the government and the people is extremely high.”
The Minister highlighted a clear correlation between advanced technological integration in public services and strong citizen trust. “These are countries where the government has figured out that to be able to serve their people in every corner of their nation, technology is the only pathway,” he added.
Speaking on the importance of this digital transformation, , Director-General of NITDA, Mr Kashifu Inuwa
emphasised the necessity for the government to meet its citizens where they are online.
”Our citizens are online. Therefore, the government needs to meet the citizens online,” he remarked.
“The only way the government can meet citizens online is by providing this kind of channel, the web app channel, so that people can interact with the government.”
He further elaborated on the vision behind the initiative, highlighting the goal of fostering greater citizen engagement.
”We are undertaking this initiative to redesign and develop a standard for government websites so that we can provide a unique, engaging, and memorable experience for our citizens when they access government services,”NITDA Boss explained.
Mr. Inuwa stressed that this standardisation is crucial for sustained interaction. “That’s the only way that we can get their attention, and we get them to come back to consume those services. So without this standard, it will be difficult for us to achieve that.”
Aig-Imoukhuede, Chairman of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, echoed these sentiments, underscoring his organisation’s long-standing commitment to public sector reform.
”My Foundation, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, has been working as a reform partner to Nigeria’s public sector for almost 10 years, and I can tell you authoritatively that the internet and digital technology can potentially transform the value that public sector stakeholders, both internal and external, receive from the government,” he remarked.
He highlighted the foundation’s consistent efforts to enhance government-citizen interaction. “Over the years, we’ve worked closely with the public service to improve service delivery, and central to that is how the government engages with citizens,” he said.
Mr Aig-Imoukhuede concluded by affirming the Foundation’s support for the initiative, recognising its transformative potential: “This initiative that we are engaged in today will therefore redefine how the government shows up in the lives of Nigerians going forward. That is why we at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation are supporting this effort.”
The Director of Programmes at the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Chioma Njoku, said, “Our aim is to change the narrative about public service delivery. That’s why we have done research on the gap between Nigeria and Western countries, and we intend to close that gap.”
”When it comes to making policies that will drive change, we make sure that all stakeholders are involved: government, private sector, youth, public servants, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), and all development partners.”
This collaborative effort marks a pivotal step towards more digitally inclusive and responsive governance in Nigeria, promising enhanced service delivery and improved citizen satisfaction through standardised and user-friendly online platforms.