Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) have entered into partnership to work for acceleration of digitisation of government reform process.
This followed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Professor Umar Danbatta and the Director-General of BPSR, Dr Dasuki Arabi.
Speaking at the event, held at the NCC’s Headquarters, Abuja recently, Danbatta said collaboration between the two organisations is consistent with NCC’s Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) to partner and collaborate with relevant stakeholders.
He noted that the MoU will enhance efficiency and productivity as it adequately captured the roles of enabling policies and implementing institutions, which are key features of digital transformation.
Danbatta also said the Commission will continue to drive broadband penetration, which provides the backbone upon which such process will thrive.
“It is for this reason that the Nigerian National Broadband Plan Document made adequate provisions for the deployment of broadband infrastructure across the country.
“It is this same infrastructure that will drive services that will result in the transformation of governance as well as the key services sector in the economy,” he said.
Danbatta stated in a release by the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Rueben Muoka, that governance will be paperless at the completion of the process.
He said chief executive officers would be able to deal with their mails without necessarily signing most things offline because virtually everything will be done online.
“Indeed, the transition will be worth it, as the process is associated with efficiency, which naturally results from operating a paperless system of governance or administration at the level of entities such as the BPRS and the NCC.
“We attach a lot of importance to the way and manner we collaborate with sister agencies of government to give translation or to ensure the actualisation of that important item of our Strategic Vision Plan that is strategic collaboration and partnership. It explains why we are signing this MoU,” he added.
In his response, the BPRS Director-General, Dr Arabi, said the decision to work with the Commission in driving the reforms for the adoption of emerging technologies was as a result of NCC’s emergence as the first organisation to win the Platinum Award of BPSR.
He said the telecoms regulatory agency exceeded expectations in the way it conducts its businesses.
“Historically speaking, this partnership had begun in 2016 when the Commission became the first agency of government to undergo the BPSR Online Self-Assessment Tool (SAT).
“Remarkably, at the end of the assessment, NCC emerged as the first agency to be rated Platinum Organisation by the Tool, having exceptionally exceeded expectations in all good practices built around nine domain areas,” Dasuki stated.
Underscoring his submission, the BPRS Director-General said: “Given the successful outcomes of the workshops and conferences NCC organised in collaboration with BPSR on the Distributed Ledger Technologies (the Blockchain) in 2022 in Lagos and Abuja, the MoU is providing a window of opportunity to consolidate efforts to deliver strong and resilient public service that will lead a well-functioning federal system wherein zero tolerance for corruption is made practicable.
“The MoU will also help in fostering of a high degree of cooperation between federal and state governments in improving service delivery and addressing Transparency International Corruption Perception Index to significantly improved safe and secured environment that encourages economic growth and investment.”
Arabi said efforts to improve equitable and unhindered access to government information and services through the Federal Government’s Scorecard for ranking websites of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are producing a direct impact on the socio-economic development of the country.
