Effective Networking Model for Efficient Implementation of E-Governance: A Case Study of Nigeria

Published Online January 2015 in MECS

Every nation is as strong as its governing system. The government and people of a country are the two important elements that make up a workable, effective and growing nation, as far as both parties play their role efficiently. A government is a group of people that have the legal right to govern a nation. Any type of Government should have a way of affecting the activities of the people in several useful ways [1].

Communication and implementation of what has been communicated is a vital ingredient in the governance of a successfully growing economy. However, both are more appreciated when they are seamlessly conveyed, timely, and in the most cost-efficient way. It benefits both the government and the governed. The need, therefore, to make the relationship between the government and the governed easier and more flexible cannot be overemphasized.

The level of advancement in information and communication technology (ICT), in recent time, has clocked an alarming rate. Its use has permeated virtually every facet of human endeavors, providing the means to ensure ease and efficient processing and delivery. Today, words like E-government and E-governance have come into prominence. E-Government refers to the use of information technology by the government for the exchange of information and services, while e-governance refers to the process of using technology to share information, provide services, and transact businesses between the government, other arms of government, government agencies, businesses and the citizens. E-Governance covers the whole range of inter-connections within government in respect of the application of ICTs to serve the citizens. The adoption of e-governance has attained a world-wide dimension. Today, most advanced countries of the world have advanced in the implementation of e-governance. The benefits are immense. The developing countries, African countries inclusive, are now beginning to embrace this method of governance to deliver more citizen-focused, cost-effective and efficient services to citizens and businesses, whilst improving internal processes of government [2].

Nigeria as a nation runs a democratic system of government (Government of the people, for the people, and by the people). As a developing country, it is striving in order to attain the world’s standard in terms of economic, educational, infrastructural, communication and commercial growth, and development. Several developed countries like the United States of America and China have not only successfully implemented an e-government system but also have been able to transform its activities to a working e-governance system.

Although, Nigerian government has made attempts to build a model that was presented and the endorsement was given at one of the United Nations organized International Conferences for Electronic Governance (ICEGOV2007), a total implementation of e-Government in Nigeria would avail it the opportunity to be on equal level with developed countries globally.

As Nigeria grows democratically, the need to develop her capacity to meet the growing challenge of meeting the needs and demands of the citizens equally grows. A sizeable number of the population is found in rural areas. These also deserve to enjoy the benefits that democracy affords. Therefore, the need for government to diversify its means of service delivery, through the adoption of e-governance, cannot be over-emphasized. In other words, considering the benefits enjoyed by countries which have adopted e-governance, there is no better time than now for Nigeria to embrace technological means in disseminating information to the people, sharing ideas between different sectors, listening and responding to the views and complaints of the citizens. Currently, there is a big communication vacuum between the government and the citizens which, if not addressed, would only lead to gradual degeneration in governance in Nigeria.

Considering the level of ICT acquisition and knowledge in the country, care must be taken to determine the most efficient networking model to support a pragmatic implementation of e-governance in Nigeria.

This study is aimed at proposing a networking model that will most effectively support the efficient implementation of e-governance in Nigeria. To achieve the above aim, we would seek to achieve the following objectives: survey e-governance and the requirements for its effective implementation, appraise level of ICT utilization for the implementation of e-governance in Nigeria, and propose a networking model that would best suit e-governance implementation in Nigeria.

In this study, the focus is on the propositioning of a suitable networking model that would best support the implementation of e-governance in Nigeria, based on the present realities. This study takes cognizance of the scope of government’s aspirations to actualize the delivery of governance electronically. Thus, the networking model should be able to support the goals and visions of government relating to e-governance implementation. This study does not go beyond trying to achieve Nigeria’s vision 20 2020 electronically.

This study is meant to promote the adoption of e-governance as a better form of governance for both the government and the governed. It will also help the Nigerian government to select the best mix of ICTs to use so as to effectively support an efficient implementation of e-governance. In essence, the proposed networking models could go a long way to help Nigerian government in selecting a pattern to follow when trying to achieve an effective model for e-governance.

• II. Literature Review