… Briefs Stakeholders on New E-Governance Platform
The Edo State Government under the leadership of Distinguished Sen. Monday Okpebholo, has held its first Civil Service Agenda-setting meeting aimed at defining strategic priorities, aligning institutional objectives and charting a coherent path for service excellence in line with the administration’s S.H.I.N.E Agenda.
The meeting which was convened by the Office of the Head of Service and held at the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), brought together key stakeholders including Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Directors of Administration and Supplies, Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics, Chairmen and Secretaries of the Edo State Public Service Retooling and Enhancement Programme (Edo-PREP) Committees, as well as E-governance champions across the Service.
The Edo State Head of Service (HOS), Dr. Anthony Okungbowa, described the Agenda-Setting session as a deliberate and forward-looking forum which goes beyond routine administrative engagement. He asserted that it provided a structured opportunity for the Service to reflect on its performance, interrogate emerging realities and jointly determine its direction for the year ahead.
According to the HOS, the 2026 Agenda would be built on clearly defined strategic objectives, key result areas and performance indicators that would enable the Service to measure progress and hold itself accountable. He explained that emphasis would continue to be placed on digital transformation, human capital development, citizen engagement, transparency and sustainable resource management. He submitted that the Public Service must operate as a strategic institution rather than reactive or in an ad-hoc manner, stressing that such reviews were essential to strengthening a culture of continuous improvement rather than assigning blame.
Appreciating the Governor for directing a holistic review of the State’s E-governance architecture, the HOS noted that the new Platform addressed earlier challenges around intellectual property ownership, backend access and data control. He added that the renewed platform which is owned and controlled by the Edo State Government, had been test-run over several months and reintroduced with enhanced features to support efficiency, transparency and collaboration across MDAs.
Dr. Okungbowa declared that E-governance is not optional but fundamental to modern public administration. He concluded that the Governor’s commitment to restoring and strengthening the Platform underscored the administration’s resolve to entrench digital governance as a tool for improved service delivery in the State.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Communications and Digital Economy, Hon. Ohimai Ehijimetor, affirmed that the Edo State Government’s E-governance initiative was firmly back on course and had been tested and confirmed ready for use to support the operational needs of the Public Service. He stated that the digital reforms were central to sharpening service delivery under the S.H.I.N.E Agenda by making government processes smarter, faster and more transparent.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Permanent Secretary, Directorate of Human Resources, Office of the Head of Service, Mrs. B. J. Igbinobaro, said the engagement reflected a shared commitment to building a more responsive, efficient and citizen-centred public service. She noted that the Agenda-setting process provided a unified framework for aligning priorities, clarifying expectations and reinforcing a culture of excellence across the Service.
In her presentation titled “EDSG Service Priorities: 2025 in Retrospect,” the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Housing, Dr. Joy Akhigbe, took participants through a reflective review of the Civil and Public Service in 2025, highlighting key priorities pursued, milestones achieved, and lessons learnt. She outlined areas requiring improvement and strategic adjustments as the Service prepares for the 2026 planning cycle.
Delivering a presentation on the revitalised e-governance initiative, the Team lead, Dr. Benjamin Ben described it as a transformative tool, noting that Edo State is positioning itself as a leader in digital governance in Nigeria. He commended the Governor for his foresight and strong appreciation of information technology, explaining that while the initial intention was to sustain the existing E-governance framework, challenges surrounding intellectual property ownership and restricted backend access made it impracticable.
Speaking on behalf of participants, a “Cohort One” officer of the Graduate Development Programme and an E-Gov champion, Ifada Anastasia Osedabamen, expressed enthusiasm over the return of the tool, noting that the enhanced features demonstrated during the briefing would significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness in the Public Service operations. She particularly highlighted improved collaboration tools within the platform, which according to her, would strengthen teamwork and collective productivity across MDAs. She further described the agenda-setting meeting as timely and strategic, stressing that proper planning is essential for measuring progress and benchmarking performance.
According to her, “Setting a clear agenda in 2025 with a view to 2026 would help the Service track milestones, assess outcomes, and sustain ongoing reforms, particularly the implementation of Edo-PREP.”
Outcomes from the syndicate discussions were harmonised and adopted as inputs into the 2026 Civil/Public Service Agenda, setting a benchmark against which performance will be measured in the coming year.
