Benue State has taken a decisive leap into the digital space with the launch of a transformative initiative to provide digital skills to more than 40,000 civil servants, and the unveiling of three portals meant to transform governance, and land administration, and open the youth of Benue state to the vast opportunities in the digital space. This initiative is spearheaded by the Director-General, Benue Digital Infrastructure Company, Mr Terwase Gbande. It is an initiative that is in tune with Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia agenda for the state.
Of the four key initiatives, the Benue State Government Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) will serve as a platform to streamline and fast track the processing of government documents to minimize bureaucracy,and enhance operational efficiency. This will make government business paperless, faster, and more efficient.
There is also a new portal to drive the Benue State Geographic Information System (BENGIS) and make its transactions more transparent both in terms of land administration and revenue generation. This will eliminate squabbles in land administration and ownership, remove middlemen from muddling the real estate market, and restore sanity and confidence in the system. Now, land matters are entirely data-driven, completely based on the click of a button.
Perhaps the most critical initiative is the Benue Youth Startup and Innovation Support Portal designed to empower young entrepreneurs with resources, funding, and mentorship. It will be a huge step towards catapulting the youth of Benue to take a grab at the more than $1.5 billion investment pouring into the Nigerian startup ecosystem.
It is instructive to note that getting 40,000 civil servants to be digitally savvy will no doubt propel effective implementation and sustainability of e-governance in Benue State. It will be a bold beginning for the state’s digital transformation journey. A journey to set the state on the path of efficiency and transparency, enhanced productivity, and seamless citizen engagement.
These landmark initiatives underscored Governor Hyacinth Alia’s commitment to leveraging digital technology to transform governance, fast track economic growth, revolutionise public service and build a tech-savvy workforce, and establishdata-driven governance system.
These landmark initiatives underscored Governor Hyacinth Alia’s commitment to leveraging digital technology to transform governance, fast track economic growth, revolutionise public service and build a tech-savvy workforce, and establish an effective data-driven governance system.
This was aptly amplified by the governor at the launch of the initiative to migrate to e-governance platforms for digital operations instead of the present analogue system, saying it was defining moment for the state’s collective pursuit of digital transformation.
The governor said that through the training, the state was fostering a future-ready civil service that can adapt to the demands of a rapidly evolving world, and the effort was a commitment to strengthening the public sector and make governance more accessible and effective for the people.
“We are not merely unveiling technological platforms, but empowering our people, enhancing transparency, and embracing the limitless possibilities of a digitally driven economy. These platforms will enhance service delivery, streamline administrative processes, and create opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship.
“A significant aspect of this transformation is the training of 40,000 civil servants across state and local government areas. This comprehensive capacity-building exercise will ensure that our workforce is equipped with the digital skills required to operate efficiently within the new electronic management system,” he said.
Alia stated that the EDMS would revolutionise the way government institutions manage records and official correspondences while the BENGIS portal would facilitate seamless access to land management services, providing a robust digital interface for property registration, title verification, and other land-related matters.
“This portal is designed to reduce bureaucratic delays and enhance public access to essential services; the Benue Youth Startup and Innovation Support Portal is a deliberate step to nurture our youths’ entrepreneurial spirit. It will offer resources, mentorship opportunities, and financial support to our young innovators and startups, contributing to job creation and economic growth,” he said.
The significance of the event was aptly captured by Mr Terwase Gbande, the Managing Director and CEO of Benue Digital Infrastructure Company.
“What we are doing today is allowing the governor of Benue, whether in the UK, the US, Lagos, or Kano, to create an account, get files and documents submitted, and have the ministry track them immediately.
“This is part of the reason why the 40,000-person training is ongoing. Before utilising the system, users need to have the necessary skills.
“We have three cardinal infrastructures. First, the hard infrastructure, which includes the computing platform, hardware solutions, internet connectivity, and other solutions we deploy.
“Second, the soft infrastructure, which consists of the applications we have built. Lastly, the knowledge infrastructure, which we are developing with single servers.”
The event attracted the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Esther Wason-Jack, represented by Mr Alfred Aba, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Civil Service Matters, who described the event as a milestone in Benue’s journey towards institutionalising a modern, digitally-enabled public service, which also aligned with the federal civil service strategy and implementation plan 2021 to 2025.
An elated Benue State Head of Service, Dr Moses Ode, said there would be greater transparency, accountability, and efficiency in service delivery.
It is instructive to point out that providing functional digital infrastructure under the leadership of Governor Alia long precedes this event, because barely few months after coming on board, the government went into partnership with Microsoft Corporation to train at least 10,000 Benue youths on the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
The launch of the Benue Fashion and ICT Hub in 2024 was also a demonstration to the long-standing determination by the government to build and sustain a digital infrastructure beneficial to all.
Director-General, Benue Public Service Institute, Prof. Terkura Tarnande gave an overview of the 40000 civil servants training programme, while goodwill messages from leading supporting federal offices such as D-G, National Information Technology Development Agency, Mr Kashifu Abdullahi; the National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji; and the President, Digital Bridge Institute, Mr David Daser.
Also a goodwill message from Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, MD/CEO, Galaxy Backbone, whose organisation hosted the Benue digital platforms domain.
For the governor, these milestones are only the beginning, and the government will continue to push for collaboration in digital ecosystem, attract more investment in digital infrastructure, knowledge transfer programmes, and opportunities to further empower the youth, grow the digital economy, and together build a smart, inclusive, and innovative Benue State.
– Tikyaa is the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Media Publicity and Communications Strategy
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