CISCO's Manager in charge of governmental affairs, Mr. Drew Murray, has contended that introducing ICT into an environment that has been practically devoid of technology is a positive but disruptive process which has to be managed carefully.

CISCO is working closely with the Nigerian government through the Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on an e-government project that would automate government processes.

Information and communication technology (ICT) will play a crucial role in the future of Nigerian governmental operations if recent moves by official agencies are anything to go by. The government, through the Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), seems to be taking significant steps towards laying the foundations for an e-government infrastructure.

The action comes close on the heels of President Obasanjo's public declaration that his departments need to embrace technology more earnestly. The process, clearly a good long-term indicator for the Nigerian economy, is not one that the government is taking lightly; it is not a case of simply building a network, deploying ICT devices and expecting officials and the voting public to just get on with it.

He advised that to achieve the expectations of government on e- government, "the existing infrastructure needs to be evaluated -- will it support the planned expansion or does it need to be rebuilt? You then need to explore the technology integration between local and national departments -- is there any and, if so, how can it be enhanced? Following that, you can look at the development of online applications and interfaces." While there are no hard and fast definitions, an e-government project generally creates a system that offers services to the public via the Internet or other forms of ICT.

These services could include applying for driver's licences or passports, completing voter registration forms, paying fees or submitting tax returns, among many others. It's important to remember that the vast majority of Nigerians do not have easy access to the internet at this stage. This brings up two important points. For projects of this nature to be a success, multiple access points to government services are needed -- from the home, at a government office, public library or kiosk. Authorities also need to ensure that citizens have access to these services both on- and off-line, regardless of internet skills and level of education.

"That's why we see full-blown e-government as a best case scenario -- not one that Nigeria's government should expect to emulate immediately," says Murray. "Simply deploying ICT around the country to ensure quick, easy and consistent communication would be a solid first step. In fact, NITDA is currently working to create a high speed network foundation for this." Projects like this see the public sector using technology as an enabling tool in much the same way the private sector would -- to save money, increase efficiency and (eventually) provide citizens with transparent access to services.

Technology can play other vital roles as well: High-speed Internet access - broadband connectivity has the power to transform economies. It allows governments to attract new businesses; it also means citizens can access public services from their own homes. It integrates government agencies and processes, thereby simplifying procurement systems and generally reducing costs. Government portals -- by providing a central online area for the public to access and personalise government services, administration burdens are reduced, and government departments can work more effectively. Democratic participation -- ICT can provide citizens with a new way of providing feedback to local and national government, potentially helping to reduce voter apathy by involving people in the political process.

This can only be successful if large numbers of people have access to ICT though. E-payments: Financial transactions between government, businesses and the public can be conducted more efficiently and reliably using ICT systems that allow secure payment messages to flow over an electronic networks. They are also more flexible and far cheaper. Public safety: Internet technology can help increase the safety and security of staff and property by linking cameras in public places to automated control centres using general-purpose networking infrastructure.

While the day that Nigerians can access all government services online may be a long way off, at least the face-to-face service they receive from officials and departments should improve as a result of the direction that NITDA is taking. "Anything that improves collaboration, information sharing and service delivery to the voting public has to be a good thing," adds Murray.