Featured

How Nigeria Can Maximise e-government – Huawei

Published

4 years ago

November 25, 2021

The Global Chief Public Services Industry Scientist, Enterprise Business Group of Huawei Technologies Co Limited, Mr Hong-Eng Koh, has said that the idea of eGovernance was to satisfy the unwilling customers.

Koh made the submission at the Nigeria eGovernment Summit 2021 in Lagos themed ‘eGovernment Adoption in Nigeria: Opportunities and Challenges’.

“Basically, eGovernment is to make the unwilling citizens willing,” Koh said, stressing the need for Nigeria to centralise government portal to achieve eGovernment.

While everyone is connecting to it for many different reasons, since 20 years ago that the Internet became pervasive, he said security threats and the waves of money were good reasons, but that being user-centric was the most important reason.

“What do I mean by user-centric? If you open a restaurant, when it is not user-centric, you would have to go to many departments: fire safety, registration of business name, environment history and others.

“All of us sitting here, whether Singapore or Nigeria, are all customers of the government,” Koh, known for evangelising collaborative eGovernment, said.

To achieve eGovernment, he explained, Nigeria needs a single portal, as eGovernment satisfies unwilling customers, and not just dreaming on wide imaginations without bringing it to pass.
Koh noted the United Nations’ standard on the stages of eGovernment to include having an Internet, enhancing eGovernment, interacting online, being transactional and citizen-centric, as well as collaborating to make unwilling customers willing.

“You need collaborations between the governments, privates and the citizens,” he emphasised.

Explaining that every government transaction is a means to an end, he said, “With digital transformation, the government can connect the means to an end.”

While emphasising on how eGovernment works in Singapore, Koh said there were many things Nigeria needed to do to transform eGovernment.
“You guys are all experts and professionals in your field. You must think of your own vision. You must think of your own services, how to make your unwilling customers to be willing,” Koh said.

He noted that digital transformation was not just about going online.

“It is not just improving Return on Investment; you have to do more. You have to redefine your vision. You have to redefine your organisations. To do that, you have to satisfy unwilling customers and improve the efficiency of current solutions.
“Data transformation is all about people, location, object, events and organisations. Most projects fail, not because of planning but people,” he said.

Noting that Huawei’s technology can support the Nigerian eGovernment drive, he added, “Technology is only a small part of any transformation. You need people to serve the people. You must be willing to drive change.”

The event was attended by stakeholders from different sectors, including the Nigerian Communications Commission, Federal Inland Revenue Service, States Internal Revenue Services, Lagos State Government, Association of Licensed Operators of Nigeria, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, National Information Technology Development Agency, Information Communications Technology companies and other agencies of government

Share on Facebook

Featured

Nigeria’s Historic Bid for the 2030 Commonwealth Games: A Call for National and Global Support

Published

6 days ago

September 30, 2025

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Nigeria is poised to make history as it seeks to host the Centenary Commonwealth Games in 2030, a monumental opportunity that promises to transform the nation’s economy, infrastructure, and global standing.

More than a sporting spectacle, the Games would serve as a catalyst for development across multiple sectors, leaving behind a legacy of national pride and sustainable growth.

The benefits of hosting the Games extend far beyond the sports arena. Nigeria stands to gain both empirical and non-empirical advantages, with direct, indirect, and induced impacts that will touch every corner of society. Infrastructural development will take center stage, with new facilities such as indoor sports halls, conference centers, and improved road networks reshaping urban landscapes while strengthening the nation’s capacity to host future international events.

Economic growth is another significant dividend. Over 10,000 jobs are expected to be created, spanning construction, facility management, event planning, and tourism services.

The hospitality industry will undergo major improvements as hotels and resorts are upgraded to meet international standards, while local restaurants, lounges, and tourist attractions will see a surge in patronage from international visitors. Small and medium enterprises, particularly in the transport, finance, and food service sectors, will become some of the greatest beneficiaries, as the Games generate new demand and expand opportunities for local businesses.
The Commonwealth Games will also accelerate the growth of Nigeria’s sports industry.

Investments in training facilities, coaching, and talent development will inspire a new generation of athletes, ensuring long-term benefits that extend beyond 2030, a major focus of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
At the same time, the process of preparing for the Games will create opportunities for Nigerians to learn new crafts, acquire technical skills, and engage in global-standard event management, thereby strengthening human capacity and innovation across industries.

Mallam Shehu Dikko, Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission, and Hon. Bukola Olopade, the Director General, have been widely recognized for their tireless and visionary leadership in repositioning Nigeria’s sporting sector.

Their commitment to facilitating infrastructural development and strengthening grassroots sports development has laid the foundation for Nigeria’s bold bid to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Under their leadership, the NSC is fostering strategic partnerships and driving innovation in sports administration, they have demonstrated the nation’s readiness to stage an event of such global magnitude.

Beyond the tangible gains, the hosting of the 2030 Commonwealth Games carries profound symbolic value. It would be a moment of unity and pride, a chance for Nigeria to showcase its cultural richness, resilience, and excellence to the world.
As a centenary edition, the Games would stand as a historic milestone not just for the Commonwealth but for Nigeria itself, cementing its place on the global stage as a capable, ambitious, and forward-looking nation.

The gains from hosting the Commonwealth Games can never be undermined or overemphasized. This is Nigeria’s time to step forward and show the world our resilience, and excellence. We call on every Nigerian, across sectors and communities, to support this noble aspiration.

Nigeria’s pursuit of the 2030 Commonwealth Games is a vision for transformation, a blueprint for national development, and a legacy project that will inspire generations to come.

Share on Facebook