By Blessing Bature
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Nigeria in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) has trained 110 civil servants from Jigawa State on the building blocks of e-Government aimed to enhance the skills and knowledge of the civil servants in implementing e-Government systems.
This was disclosed in a statement by the Program Manager on Digital Governance, Kayode Samuel Adebisi, said the program, which was held at the Manpower Development Institute (MDI), Dutse, Jigawa started, from March 18 to 20, 2025.
According to the statement, the new KOICA Country Director to Nigeria, Mr. KIM Eunsub, emphasized KOICA’s broader efforts to support Nigeria’s digitalization agenda, equipping government officials with essential skills to drive innovation, transparency, and effective administration through e-Government solutions.
Mr KIM Eunsub informed, “The extension of this training to the subnational level underscores KOICA’s unwavering commitment to ensuring inclusive digital transformation across Nigeria. By cascading these initiatives to state governments, we aim to bridge the digital divide between federal and state institutions, fostering a seamless and efficient governance framework.”
He commended the Jigawa State Government for its progressive digital transformation efforts, noting that the initiatives undertaken reflect a forward-thinking approach to governance. He expressed confidence that the knowledge and skills acquired by the 110 civil servants during this training would serve as critical enablers for advancing the state’s digital agenda.
“The successful completion of this program marks another milestone in KOICA’s efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s digital governance ecosystem. KOICA remains committed to supporting Nigeria’s digital transformation journey through training, capacity building, and strategic partnerships that empower government institutions at all levels”.
He noted that 110 Jigawa State civil servants were trained on e-Government fundamentals and building blocks to support Nigeria’s digital transformation process.
“The training focused on enhancing participants’ basic IT skills and understanding of e-Government to improve governance and service delivery. As a mark of excellence, the top three participants were awarded special prize items in recognition of their outstanding performance during the training”.
This initiative is part of KOICA’s efforts to support Nigeria’s digital transformation and improve public service delivery. By strengthening the capacity of civil servants, KOICA aims to contribute to the effective implementation of e-Government initiatives in Jigawa State and beyond.
In his keynote address, Governor Namadi expressed his deep appreciation to KOICA for its unwavering support in fostering capacity building for civil servants.
He stated, “This training program is a significant step toward realizing our digital transformation agenda in Jigawa State. We are committed to leveraging the skills and knowledge acquired during this training to enhance governance, improve service delivery, and drive sustainable development. I urge all participants to put their newly acquired skills to good use in advancing our state’s digital future.”
During the event, Governor Namadi also took the opportunity to unveil the Jigawa OneAPI program, a strategic initiative aimed at enabling system interoperability and seamless data exchange between pilot ministries in the state. This initiative marks a significant milestone in the state’s efforts to digitize governance and enhance service efficiency.
According to him, this event marks another significant step in our administration’s commitment to digital transformation, capacity building, and ensuring efficiency and effectiveness in our governance processes.
The governor explained that over the past 3 days, 110 civil servants have been trained on key e-Governance skills to enhance their performance, promote effective service delivery, and support data-driven decision-making in our effort to institute modern governance practices in the State public service.
“This initiative is a testament of our commitment to smarter and more efficient public service, where technology supports good governance by driving transparency, accountability, and improved citizen engagement”.
“As most of us are aware, promoting Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is one of the topmost priorities of our Administration. Goal 5 of our 12-Point Agenda clearly provided that our Administration would leverage on ICT as a priority sector for achieving socio-economic development in Jigawa State with focus on reclaiming the past glory of the State as the leader in e-governance and the deployment of ICT in achieving socioeconomic development”.
“It is for this reason that we commit to seek for collaborations with Partners such as the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to develop and implement the State ICT Master Plan, promote e-governance and achieve a gradual emergence of the digital economy for the State. We firmly believe the collaboration between Jigawa State Government and KOICA would accelerate the realization of these objectives as well”.
