Why electoral processes in 2023 must be tech-driven.

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

Experts from various sectors have called for strict adherence to the use of technology in the 2023 general elections to ensure transparency and credibility.

The experts, who also urged Nigerians to elect tech-savvy politicians, stated that technology would not only speed up electoral processes but would also improve governance efficiency, transparency, and accountability.

The call was made in Lagos at the 2022 Nigeria e-Government Summit, yesterday, with the theme: ‘’Promoting e-Government in Election Year for Improved Governance,” organised by a tech company, DigiServe Network Services, in partnership with Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, and VDT Communications.

Executive Chairman, DigiServe Network Services, Mr. Lanre Ajayi, in his welcome address, said adoption of technology would make governance efficient and cost effective.

In his words: “The election year, which is the time when a lot of attention is paid to governance issues, is a perfect time to promote e-government to the ruling class and the general public, which is the adoption of technology in government processes and service delivery, that makes government service delivery efficient and cost effective.”

Also emphasising the importance of tech adoption, Executive Chairman, Federal Inland Revenue Services, FIRS, and Chairman, Joint Tax Board, Mr. Muhammad Nami, in his keynote address, said he had always been passionate about e-governance that had reflected in several processes at the FIRS, vis-à-vis the automation of tax administration, and the collection of data from various government agencies, e-payment processing and e-receipt issuance, among others.

Nami, who was represented at the summit by the Director, Intelligence, Strategic Data Mining and Analysis at FIRS, Mr. Kola Okunola, said: “FIRS had been focused on creating data-driven culture in the public sector, with improved transparency, accountability and social inclusiveness.”

Similarly, another keynote speaker, who is a former Legal Adviser to All Progressives Congress, APC, Babatunde Ogala, noted that the major challenges of the past governments in Nigeria was lack of technology adoption and deployment.

He also called on Nigerians to elect tech savvy leaders in the next election in 2023.

In the same vein, Lagos State gubernatorial candidate for Accord, Mr. Hakeem Dickson, who also presented a keynote paper at the summit, said if elected as the next governor of Lagos State, under Accord, he would use technology to transform the state within six months.

“Leaders who are technology savvy will use technology to generate funds for government without over taxing the citizens and also use technology to boost development, enhance governance and develop human capacity building,” Dickson said.