Lagos State Government says it is seeking ways to improve its services and business transactions using Information Technology solutions.The government added that in this regard, it was working on a partnership with Microsoft Corporation of the United States of America. Microsoft Senior Director, Middle East/Africa, Mr. Yasser Elabd, led a team from the firm to a stakeholders’ meeting with heads of the state’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies on Tuesday in Alausa, Ikeja, to discuss how government’s needs could be met.SEE MORE AFTER CUT>>>
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs. Nike Animashaun, said the initiative would help government improve on the quality of service it rendered to citizens.
She said, “We are having a meeting with the Microsoft team on the directive of the state Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to find ways that we can collaborate and for them to advise us on IT solutions in line with our e-governance policy.”
Animashaun said the partnership would have direct impact on residents as it would enable them to have direct access to government through mobile centres that would be established across the state.
She added that residents could also go online and have direct transaction with government agencies without going through the hurdles of coming to the secretariat.
The permanent secretary said the initiative would create employment and also assist small and medium scale enterprises that would manage the mobile centres that would be interfacing with government.
She said, “The idea of interfacing with government is such that you don’t have to come to government offices to transact business with government and it is not everybody that has a laptop or a computer to do businesses in their homes. This necessitates the involvement of small business centres that people can go online to get government services and so on.
“We are building on the infrastructure we have, this partnership is for us to take it to the next level, we already have IT infrastructure in different ministries and agencies. What Microsoft has come to do is to take us to the next level.”
Culled: Punchng
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