Korea offers $13m for Nigeria’s e-govt project

The Republic of Korea has signed a new project agreement worth US$13 million with the federal government to further boost e-government expansion in Nigeria.

The Asian country had earlier supported e-government project between 2013 and 2019, during which over a thousand government officials were trained by Korea on digital governance.

The new deal, signed at a brief ceremony on Thursday in Abuja by Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and Mr Woochan Chang, Country Director, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), was to implement the second phase of the project, which would run to 2026.

The project, which is fully funded by the Korean Government, is expected to enhance capacity for the further execution of key initiatives of the National e-Government master plan, improve competencies for e-government service delivery through capacity building programmes, expand the delivery of government digital services through the activation of the Government Service Portal and create increased access for NIN enrolment through the establishment of additional NIN enrolment centres.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Pantami reiterated the federal government’s readiness to expand digital government in Nigeria.

He said his ministry was fully prepared to actualise the objectives of this new project to further boost the expansion of e-government initiatives across the country.

Mr. Woochan Chang, Country Director, KOICA Nigeria Office, called for the full activation of Nigeria’s Presidential Council on e-Government.

He described the council as a significant engine room for the operationalisation of activities as designed in the new e-government project.