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‎The Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) says the Federal Government has fully digitized its public financial management system, including budget preparation and auditing, as part of efforts to deepen transparency and accountability in governance.
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‎The DG disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the launch of three digital platforms designed to strengthen public service reforms across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
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‎The Bureau, under the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, unveiled the Reforms Tracker Dashboard, Knowledge Repository and the National Strategy for Public Service Reform (NSPSR) Strategy Dashboard to improve reform monitoring, knowledge management and evidence-based decision-making.
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‎Responding to questions from journalists, the DG said accountability and transparency remain at the core of the bureau’s operations.
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‎”Accountability and transparency are the centre of our operations. When our budget is passed, we provide access to citizens to track our functions and responsibilities. This is to make sure we answer our name as a government agency.”
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‎”We have digitalized public financial management system 100 per cent, budget preparation process and auditing, how much has been passed by the National Assembly. This has enabled us to proactively provide public information for civil society, accountability and transparency agencies.”
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‎Earlier, Mr Arabi described the newly launched platforms as a major milestone in Nigeria’s public service reform agenda, saying they would create an integrated digital ecosystem for monitoring, documenting and communicating reform implementation across government institutions.
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‎According to him, the Reforms Tracker Dashboard will provide verified, near real-time data on reform milestones and performance indicators, while the Knowledge Repository will serve as a central digital library for policies, reports, guidelines and other reform resources.

The NSPSR Strategy Dashboard will enable policymakers to monitor implementation of the national reform strategy, identify gaps and make informed decisions.
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‎He said the platforms would address longstanding challenges, including fragmented reform reporting, limited access to institutional knowledge and the absence of a unified mechanism for tracking reforms across government institutions.
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‎The DG noted that the initiative reinforces the Federal Government’s commitment to building a transparent, accountable and technology-driven public service, while providing policymakers, development partners, researchers, civil society organisations and citizens with credible information on the progress of reforms.
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‎He reaffirmed the bureau’s commitment to leveraging digital innovation to strengthen institutional performance and improve service delivery, urging the media to continue supporting accurate and balanced reporting on government reform initiatives.

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TECHDIGEST – The Federal Government on Monday directed the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) to conduct an impact assessment on all Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.

Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, gave the directive while delivering a keynote address at an Induction Programme for Chairmen, Governing Board Members and Chief Executives of some federal Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions, in Abuja.

According to Mustapha, the impact assessment exercise will enable government assess the level of all federal MDAs’ compliance with Extant Rules and harmonious work relationship amongst Chairmen, Board Members and Chief Executives in their various Agencies and also ensure effective service delivery to the citizens.

The Induction Programme was organized for the Governing Boards/Councils of Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA).

The SGF noted that the Induction programme is aimed at further deepening the understanding of new policies, processes and procedures of government that have been introduced into the art of governance.

He pointed out that the observed poor and unhealthy relationships existing between Governing Boards and their Chief Executive Officers have become very worrisome to Government and are unacceptable.

Mustapha, however said that, “This could be avoided if Chairmen and Members of Governing Boards acquaint themselves with the instruments of establishment of their respective organisations, where the role and responsibilities of the Board are prescribed”.

The Director General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), Mr Dasuki I. Arabi called on Chief Executive Officers, Board Chairmen and members of MDA to live to the demand of integrity and patriotism, and be result-oriented in the discharge of their respective duties.

He said the induction ceremony was coming at a time of “growing concerns expressed about the weak corporate governance practice and the struggle and misunderstanding among board members in some Federal Parastatals, Agencies and Commissions.”

Also speaking at the occasion, the Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, commended the contribution of Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) to the success of the event and other similar initiatives.

“It may interest you to note that Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) has been visible in Nigeria since 2001 with focus on three major projects: Promoting Democracy and Good Governance; Support to the Security Reform (SSR) in Nigeria; and Promoting Economic Development through partnership with the various levels of Government.

“In the recent past, KAS has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning to organize capacity building for the Permanent Secretaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on “Implementing the National Development Plans”; Capacity building for Special Advisors and Technical Assistance of the Honorable Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; and the capacity building workshop for Anchors and Secretariat officials for the development of the National Development Plan 2021 – 2025 amongst others.

Konrad is a German political foundation, a nongovernmental organization. It is part of the official German development cooperation and thus is funded by the German Government. It has more than 100 offices worldwide and it has been active in Nigeria for 20 years now. The focus of its work in Nigeria lies in the promotion of democratic governance and the rule of law and security sector reform.

By PRNigeria

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TECHDIGEST – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), stakeholders in the academia, the public sector and enthusiasts of technology for development, have deliberated on the benefits derivable from emerging technologies such as Blockchain, to advance the growth of the Nigerian economy.

At a recently-organised two-day workshop by the Commission, in collaboration with the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), stakeholders were in accord that through effective implementation of policies as expressed in guidelines, regulations and directions driven by the NCC, Blockchain could be a bedrock of economic innovation and growth.

The workshop, which took place in Abuja and focused on ‘’Distributed Ledger Technology (Blockchain) Ecosystem, Decentralisation and Adoption Methods’’, drew participants from financial institutions, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the academia, the Indian High Commission, the Nigerian military, and paramilitary forces, the Nigerian Cyberwarfare Command, and the private sector.

The stakeholders, who spoke in turn at the workshop, acknowledged and profoundly appreciated the role of NCC in engendering a dynamic digital regulatory environment, the remarkable contribution to the growth and development of novel and emerging technologies, and NCC’s adoption of adaptive mechanisms that have enhanced emerging technologies in Nigeria.

Addressing a large audience at the event, Dr. Haru Al-Hassan, NCC’s Director, New Media and Information Security, who delivered the opening speech at the event, on behalf of Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, said existing national digital economy frameworks such as the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030 instituted by the Federal Government as well as regulatory initiatives by the Commission, have been significant enablers of Blockchain and emerging technologies in the country.

According to Al- Hassan, “good regulatory policies are the bedrock of innovation and growth and it is the aspiration of the Commission that Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLTs) otherwise known as Blockchain and other innovative technologies and services would continue to thrive and contribute to the growth and development of Nigeria.”

In the same vein, Dr. Dasuki Arabi, the Director-General, BPSR, informed the audience that the Nigerian government was already making efforts, through a number of initiatives, to harmonizing emerging technologies with the contemporary public service sector in a way that strengthens the efficiency of the public sector.

He also affirmed that Blockchain would be central in the implementation of the National e-Govt Masterplan.

The BPSR Chief Executive equally listed the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the Bank Verification Number (BVN), automation of enforcement activities of some agencies of the government, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), as well as automated performance measurement systems for public sector employees, as concrete examples of the utilisation of technology in the public sector.

Arabi asserted that Nigeria ranks third in Africa, in the use of telecommunications for public service delivery, coming behind South Africa and Egypt. Arabi called on policymakers to ensure robust policy formulation that ensures improved digital literacy and increased automation in public service delivery.

Other speakers at the event included Dr. Abdul-Kareem Oloyede of University of Ilorin, Kwara State; Barr. Amaka Ukwueze and Vivian Okonkwo, both of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Enugu State.

Oloyede, who clarified the difference between Blockchain and Bitcoin, stated that the former is the underlying technology used for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.

He also stated that Blockchain could be utilised to minimise expenditure and expenses, speed up transactions, and improve data security for financial institutions, health care, and businesses.

Ukwueze particularly applauded the Commission for taking the lead in discussions on DLTs considering the fact that Nigeria does not have a clear-cut Blockchain policy yet, even though countries worldwide had begun integrating DLT as a central part of their business practices.

“Republic of Malta, a southern European island country, located in the south central region of the Mediterranean Sea, incorporated Blockchain into its digital and economic ecosystem. Also, China, Abu Dhabi, and Japan are also instituting DLT-friendly regulations in their governance processes,” Ukwueze said.

Accordingly, Ukwueze urged the Federal Government to adopt Blockchain deployment actively, promote legal certainty for Blockchain applications, and provide a flexible and adaptive regulatory environment that fosters innovation.

Conclusively, Ukwueze stated that “government’s regulatory enforcement processes must seek to encourage companies to be consumer-centric and ensure compliance”.

In her contribution to the discourse, Okonkwo said adoption of Blockchain technology would be essential in documentation, archiving, cloud storage, identity management, and online education.

Additionally, Okonkwo declared that blockchain is a cost-effective method of optimising the quality of the educational administrative processes, and equally a cost-effective application that could improve service delivery across the nation.

The DLT, such as Blockchain, DAG; Hashgraph; Holochain; Tempo (Radix), is a digital system for recording transactions of assets at multiple places simultaneously.

The key features of DLT include: immutability (once written, it is extremely difficult to alter), and peer-to-peer sharing, in the sense that ledger is shared among peers while there is no central ownership.

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TECHDIGEST – Digital technology and social media have transformed the way people live, communicate and conduct economic activities with one another. Through the power of these two phenomena, people are gaining widespread access to information and global connections, irrespective of their geographic locations.

Thanks to the pervasive power of the internet, the appropriate application of digital or electronic government has become vital for satisfying the yearning and aspirations of modern citizens.
Citizens are using technology to hold governments to account and exercise their civic rights. Their expectation is for the government to deliver the same service standards as offered by the private sector.

As a result, governments everywhere are undergoing digital transformation and using the digital route to deliver services more efficiently, transparently, and cost-effectively to the citizens. Governments around the world are recognising and leveraging e-government to optimise their services to citizens.

The World Bank defines e-government as the use of information technology by government agencies, which are responsible for transmitting information to those within its ambit, businesses, and all other governmental stakeholders.

As such, e-government is the application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) to government functions and procedures, with the purpose of increasing efficiency, transparency, and citizen participation.

Objectives of e-government include the better delivery of public services to citizens, the enhancement of business and industry collaborations, citizen empowerment through access to information, and ultimately more effective governance.

E-government is the practical demonstration of how ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) of government use ICT as a support tool in the development of good governance by entrenching higher levels of effectiveness and efficiency in governmental operations, the improvement of processes and procedures, and increase in the quality of public services.

Aside from deploying e-government to achieve cost-effectiveness and citizen inclusion, governments are also innovating solutions to provide the optimum delivery of services, establish advanced systems of procurement, foster higher transparency, and curb corruption and wastages.
Despite the fact that technology has the potential to boost government responsiveness, productivity, and citizen trust, governments in many developing countries are reluctant to deploy technology towards the reform of their public sector.
While effective governments remain the cornerstone of poverty reduction and inclusive growth, most African governments rely on weak and opaque public institutions to push their personal agenda, without concern for their citizens’ welfare.

Nigeria is currently undergoing the transition from the traditional economy to the digital economy, with the objective of aligning the public sector operations and processes with the Digital Nigeria project and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).

The implementation of digital transformation in the public sector is being spearheaded by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), with the technical support of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Indeed, technology is imperative to sustainable public service reforms and the proper repositioning of the public sector for quality service delivery through the digital transformation of government services, in conformity to international good governance practices.

The BPSR was established to coordinate and ensure the full implementation of reform initiatives of agencies of government to enhance service delivery and streamline the public service into a highly professional, functional, smart, and result-oriented institution.

It stands in the vanguard of leveraging technology to achieve its goals of turning around the public service for meaningful engagement and communication between the government and citizens.

This much was underscored by the Director-General, Mallam Dasuki Ibrahim Arabi when he paid a courtesy visit to the corporate office of Image Merchants Promotion Limited, publisher of Economic Confidential and PRNigeria, among other publications in its stable.

Mallam Arabi acknowledged that the public sector has no excuse whatsoever not to embrace technology and digital transformation to ensure the digitisation of governance and elimination of paper-based operations.
He expressed the readiness of the BPSR to vigorously pursue the digitisation of all agencies and institutions of government through the upgrade of ICT facilities and capacity-building programmes to help public officers operate digital tools for productivity and safe record keeping.
He said, “the whole world has been disrupted by technology. We (BPSR) have digitalised all our processes. We are advocates of the actualisation of the e-government master plan of the government, which is looking at the departments and agencies of government.

“A lot of work is going on underground to upgrade the ICT facilities. The central tech agencies, NITDA and Galaxy Backbone, are doing a lot of work to provide the software and hardware that we need to transform.”

In October 2020, NITDA’s Director General, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi had assured the BPSR that his agency would deploy its IT competencies in reforming the entire public service saying that, “information technology is key to meaningful reforms in the public service”.

In the long run, the effort to achieve a robust public service reform catalysed by the power of digital transformation through e-government that empowers citizens by giving them improved access, prompt services, saves cost and time, facilitates transparent processes, and makes government more accountable promises a win-win situation for both the citizens and the government.

As a citizen, all you need is a smartphone with a strong internet connection to enjoy the gains of e-government, because you will no longer stand in long queues or be physically present to access government services, except when it becomes extremely necessary.

Inyene Ibanga is Managing Editor TechDigest and writes from Wuye District, Abuja.

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