FG Plans Complete Digitisation of 774 LGs HQ by 2027

The Federal Government says it will complete the digitisation of the 774 Local Government headquarters in the 36 states by 2027.

The Minister of Communication, Innovations and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, said this on Thursday at a stakeholders’ retreat on project 774 connectivity in Abuja.

Tijani said that the project would be executed in collaboration with other agencies under its purview.

He said that the government had a target of 2027 to fully digitalise all the remaining LGAs in the country.

“If you are talking about durations as to when we are going to reach all the 774 LGs, the goal is that by 2027 we will have achieved that.

“We have spread that out in the blueprint that was put out,” he said.

The minister said that one of the goals of the project was to foster inclusive development and access to digital public infrastructure in government offices located all over Nigeria’s businesses.

“It fosters digital skills and innovation; promotes inclusive development and strengthens governance and accountability,” he said.

Earlier, the Executive-Secretary, of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), Oluyomi Arowosafe, said that internet access, wide internet coverage, and ICT in underserved, unserved, and rural areas would support social inclusiveness and social equity.

“The USPF is doing that with its strategies to provide connectivity, and we do that by granting subsidies to our implementers, and they go to rural areas to deliver those services.

“We intend that our contribution to the LGs will support and add value to probably improve the standard of living, health, and other areas.

All these are to support the eight strategic priority areas of the Federal Government, priority three and priority five, which have to do with economic growth and inclusiveness.

“All these are things that support the Project 774 LG connectivity, and as it stands, it is basically to support citizens’ engagement in the LGA,” he said.

The Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, said that the project had already started in the state.

“Some LGAs in the state are already benefiting from this project. It is something that is connecting the people and helping in digitising the administration of local government councils in Kogi,” Fanwo said. (NAN)