Govt Asked To Leverage Technology For Enhanced Devt

Founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Ihifix Innovation Foundation, Mr Emmanuel Odeh Adikpe, has appealed to the government at all levels to leverage on technology to facilitate the development of Nigeria.

He made the call at the Ihifix Digital Summit for Development 2022 with the theme: “Leveraging Digital Technologies for Sustaining Gains of The Open Government Partnership (OGP)”.

Adikpe who convened the summit named the implementing partners were the foundation as Arewa Research and Development Project (ARDP), Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation (SABMF), CALPED, PERL, Citizens Co-chair – Kaduna OGP.

He said the summit was aimed at evolving practical ways governments and the citizens could co-deliver concrete participatory governance reforms and accelerate the delivery of quality public services leveraging on digital technologies.

Adikpe said, the reforms seek to make governments more transparent, participatory, inclusive, accountable and responsive adding that, there is no doubt that an open and more responsive government working collaboratively with active citizens leveraging digital technology has better prospects to deliver sustainable and people-centered developmental results.

The summit convener said digital platforms had been a real accelerator for opening up government and mobilising direct citizens’ engagement, adding that the platforms have continued to empower more citizens with information, safe spaces and amplify their voices in pressing for broader causes that enable inclusive and sustainable development.

He also said, there is the need for governments, the private sector, civil society, international organizations, the technical and academic communities, and all other relevant stakeholders to integrate digital technology into their approaches towards implementing projects so as to achieve speed, scale, scope, and thereby promoting inclusiveness in governance.

The summit had no fewer than 500 participants drawn from relevant government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Tech. Community, Civil Society Organizations, Academia, Media , Open Government Partnership (OGP), international Partners and Development partners  engaged in facilitation of stakeholders’ experience-sharing to generate lessons for adaptation towards addressing blockages hindering meaningful citizens’ involvement and public accountability in the governance process.

It also brainstormed and documented strategies towards increased leverage on digital technologies and data utilisation for promoting good governance and sustainable socio-economic development, shared success stories on how innovation and technology is deepening citizens’ participation, transparency and accountability in public governance and initiated a tech community of practice in sustaining governance reforms.

The summit featured brief documentary presentations, panel discussions, demonstration and interactive sessions.