Cross River State Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Justin Beshel has said that the National Digital Economy and e-governance bill when passed into law would advance the nation’s e-governance and digital economy initiatives.
The Commissioner said this while declaring open a stakeholders’ engagement forum in Calabar Friday during the ongoing nationwide consultation exercise on the draft National Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill, driven by the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy.
Beshel represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Andy Akpotu-Adeshi described the development as a significant step forward and a crucial milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to leverage its digital economy and enhance e-governance practices.
Beshel said it aligns with the core objectives of e-government, which include improving public services, enhancing governmental efficiency, and fostering open participation and empowerment through ICT.
The Nigeria e-Government Masterplan, developed by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, supports these efforts by accelerating the digitalisation of government processes.
Beshel said it would serve as a foundational element for the Digital Economy Policy and Strategy 2020–2030, charting a course for Nigeria’s digital future.
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Presenting an overview of the bill, the resource person, Christopher Nwoya, explained that the bill aims to regulate the digital space and address issues relating to cybersecurity measures, data privacy, and e-governance.
He said the bill when passed into law would improve Nigeria’s digital economy through several measures, including the establishment of a legal framework for digital signatures, electronic transactions, and e-governance, digital records ensuring the security, integrity, and confidentiality of digital records, and payments
Nwoya said the law would also make public information accessible electronically, establish ICT units in public institutions to implement initiatives, allow legal requirements for paper forms to be satisfied electronically, and ensure that electronic time stamps are admissible as evidence in legal proceedings.
The Cross River stakeholder engagement was attended by notable personalities from the private sector, civil society organisations, and public sector officials.
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