Telecom
NCS urges Government to Leverage ICT Infrastructure for Sustainable National Electoral Process
The President of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has said that using ICT to elect credible leaders could motivate successful and satisfied politicians and encouraged emerging governments to adapt ICT innovations to mainstream development and governance.
Professor Adesola Aderounmu, President, Nigeria Computer Society and Co-Centre Leader, World Bank-Designated Centre of Excellence in Software Engineering, said this during a keynote lecture delivered at the 5th Covenant University Conference on e-Governance in Nigeria, on Thursday 7th June, 2018.
Aderounmu, said that it is important to highlight the existence of a genuine need for ICT systems for development in sub-Sahara Africa.
He said, “In particular, we have to distinguish elections as the best opportunity to encourage political leaders to promote innovation in the polity.
“As the 2019 elections draw closer, there is no doubt that putting in place relevant ICT infrastructure now for the application of adaptable technology in our electoral processes will go a long way to ensure transparency and credibility of the elections.
“It is a welcome development that the leveraging of technology had started, even if rudimentary, with the last 2015 elections that ushered in the present administration in Nigeria.
“For instance, the application of technology for biometric registration of voters, the issuance of smart permanent voters card (PVCs) to voters and voter verification and authentication using the smart card reader, has helped the infiltration of ICT into the electoral process.
“So also was the idea to scan and upload all voting result sheets for all the elections on a database, which was made accessible to all stakeholders for some months after the 2015 elections.
“All these formative adaptations of technology with the 2015 elections are commendable, but there is still a long way to go with our future elections”.
He further explained that for us to use ICT to transform our future electoral processes and elections,there is need to employ sensitization,Civic Education and E-Inclusion.
He said that “when it comes to conducting elections, sensitization and civic education are very key in the electoral process and are necessary for democracy.
“It is all about voter consciousness and popular participation in elections.
“The citizens who are voters need to be effectively sensitized or enlightened about their civic duties and rights during elections.
“Voter education should come before and during an electoral event, showing how, where, and when to vote.
“Citizens need to know why they must turn out to vote and how to cast their votes to make them count.
“Sensitizing and educating voters in Nigeria have always been done via the traditional mass media and direct town-hall community engagements.
“Now, with the pervasive influence of technology in society today, educating and cultivating the Nigerian voters can be done better with the leverage of digital media like the mobile phone with bulk SMS, bulk voice call or inbound interactive voice response, and the use of web-portals from pre-election polls.
“Digital technology now enriches political communications and voter engagement like never before.
” And with the majority of people having access to computers and mobile technology devices these days, INEC and other concerned agencies can transform the sensitization, civic education and e-inclusion of Nigerian voters with the use of the Internet via popular social media like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp and special mobile applications to channel and disseminate voter education messages.
He noted that another way to leverage ICT for Nigeria’s electoral process is through constituency delimitation, using digital maps and charts for proper voter registration.
Professor Aderounmu, stated that voter Registration and Data Capture constitute a major foundational step in the electoral process.
“Without a proper voters register, there cannot be proper elections.
“In the words of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on its website, “Voter Registration is a process through which those qualified to vote are identified and included in a list called the register of voters.
“They are then issued with voters’ cards, which entitles them to vote during elections.” INEC goes further to state that “A credible voters’ register is a prelude to free and fair elections.
“Voter registration helps to facilitate the credibility of the electoral process by preventing multiple voting as each person is only allowed to register once. With this, no one is allowed to register at multiple centres.
“It helps in preventing cases of underage voting because only adults of voting age (18 years and above) are registered.”
He admonish the controversies being experienced in Nigeria, over voter registration as some complains of ghost names appearing on the voters register, names of foreign nationals appearing and names of under-age voters appearing too on the register.
“Others complain of missing names on election days after they have registered.
“All these issues tend to mar the electoral process, but the use of ICT infrastructure can make a positive difference.
“Thus one would recommend the use of a Centralized Countrywide Database for voter registration, drawing on the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) data inventory.
“Updates to the centralized database can be done through Web Portal E-mails with smart fields, mobile apps, and automatic fingerprint and photo identification systems.
“In a way, online voter registration via the Internet is simpler and more secure than paper registration and manual updates,” he added.
Aderounmu, said that, Nigeria would catch up with the rest of the world’s advanced democracies with adoption of ICT tools in securing electoral process integrity and deepening a truly democratic culture, the government must demonstrate enough Political will.
In his words, this implies that there must be implementation of bold policy moves on the part of the stakeholders involved to commit to actualizing an ICT-driven electoral system for the nation.
“It is not enough to make promises; there must be affirmative action”.
He added, that investing in capital and IT infrastructure for an ICT-enabled electoral process is very important.
He said, Sufficient investment (capital wise) and infrastructure will set the country on the right course.
“If a chunk of the trillions of Naira loot being recovered by the government is invested in IT infrastructure for our elections, it will go a long way to help.
“Robust ICT systems for a national electoral system do not come cheap, but they will pay dividends for our democracy in the long term.
The NCS President, also proffered solutions we can leverage on to solve the challenge of poor ICT application in our electoral process.
He stated that if could invest in the use of intuitive and easy to use machines, we will getting close to solving the challenges.
“The government, especially INEC, must invest in intuitive and easy to use database and software technologies that are as simple as using mobile phones.
“This will remove the factor of complexity in the deployment of ICT tools in our electoral system”.
Aderounmu, emphasized the fact that in spite of the many challenges of deploying technology in our electoral processes and elections in Nigeria, its benefits remain enormous.
He said that, we must catch up with the rest of the world in adopting ICT tools to streamline our electoral process, advance our democracy and institutionalize an enabling e-governance culture.
He noted that, the incorporation of ICT in our electoral system will greatly help improve election management in the country.
“We must go further to deepen the ICT usage by upgrading, especially, our applications of Electronic Voters Register, Automatic Fingerprints Identification System and Smart Card Reader in 2019 General Elections in order to minimize the unwholesome practices of multiple registration and multiple voting.
“This is how we can guarantee electoral integrity and strengthen our democracy.
He however recommended the following six step if we want to get our electoral system right and strengthen our democracy.
1. The Federal Government should urgently push for broadband access all over the country through PPP models
2. The Government must develop a robust sustainability model
3. Must roll out and implement effective local content policy
4. Must invest in high quality IT Manpower development
5. Must see to the Establishment of IT parks and Digital Centres in all the 774 LGAs through PPP models
6. And lastly, the Government should embrace a unified database for Nigeria
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is considering imposing sanction on any road contractor that destroys telecommunications metro fibre across the country.
Idris Olorunnimbe, chairman, Board of Commissioners, NCC, stated this at congratulatory visit to the Chairman by members of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) in Lagos yesterday.
According to him, “I think what we need to do to address the damage of metro fibre by government contractors is simply. He who cuts It must fix it, and we’ll take this message to our state governments.
If any contractor knows that if they damage that critical national infrastructure, their work is going to stop and they are going to be the ones to fix it, they will not destroy it.
Responding, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), said up until now, there are no consequences for those infractions, and if there are no consequences, the tendency to continue to do bad is very high.
“Contractors of government carrying out roadworks, whether road maintenance or road expansion, and their machines destroy communications super highway at will, if there are consequences, or if there were consequences some of those actions will not have escalated to the level that we are in.
“What the chairman has said today is very important, if you destroy it you fix it. What we are expecting now is that the consequence of managing those problems will be a lot more, and there will be legal deterrent for people from destroying operators’ fibre. I must emphasize the communication super highway. That’s the highway by which all the signals are carried.
“When this highway is broken, it’s like you have a major bridge that’s broken. You can’t reach east, neither can you reach west. And until we take it as the major super communications highway and so protective, we will continue to be where we are.
“That’s actually what it is. When this highway is broken, we are all affected. So, it’s no longer an infrastructure that is for operators, but it belongs to all of us. If I don’t have service on my phone, some of these are the consequence of this violation that we are seeing.
Earlier in his welcome address, Engr. Adebayo highlighted some of the key challenges in the sector which includes: Daily fibre cuts — often caused by federal and state road construction contractors — are creating enormous economic losses.
- Nationwide service disruptions
- Destruction of critical digital infrastructure
- Loss of assets without compensation
- Banking, education, and security interruptions
There is currently insufficient institutional recourse for operators when these damages occur. A structured pre-construction fibre mapping and mandatory coordination framework is urgently required.
Key Regulatory Priorities for Sector Stability
- Independence of the Regulator
He said regulatory independence ensures:
- Credible oversight
- Investor confidence
- Transparent decision-making
- Long-term sector stability
Independence must not only exist in law — it must be visible in practice.
“We recommend: Legislative reinforcement explicitly affirming NCC independence
- Clear codification of interaction boundaries between the regulator and supervising authorities
- Operational safeguards insulating regulatory processes from undue influence
Multiple Regulation
Overlapping regulatory interventions by various MDAs on matters already within NCC jurisdiction create:
- Duplicative investigations
- Conflicting directives
- Increased compliance costs
- Regulatory uncertainty
“We recommend structured inter-agency coordination frameworks and legislative clarification reaffirming NCC’s exclusive jurisdiction over telecommunications matters.
Multiple Taxation
Adebayo stated that operators continue to face excessive sub-national taxes and levies.
Enforcement tactics such as site shutdowns directly affect Quality of Service and national connectivity.
A harmonized national telecom taxation framework is essential for broadband expansion and digital inclusion.
Google has launched Lyria 3, its advanced generative music model, in the Gemini app, enabling users to create 30-second tracks from text prompts or images.
Lyria 3 Model
Senior Product Managers Joël Yawili and Myriam Hamed Torres announced the feature, which generates lyrics, styles, vocals, and tempos based on descriptions like “a fun afrobeat track about childhood memories of home-cooked plantains.”
Key upgrades include auto-generated lyrics, user control over elements, and more realistic, complex audio.
Usage Options
Text-to-track: Prompt genres, moods, or memories, e.g., “nostalgic afrobeat for my mother’s plantain meals with African vibe.”
Image/video-to-track: Upload photos/videos for mood-matched songs, e.g., “track about my dog on a hike.”
Tracks include custom Nano Banana cover art for easy sharing. Available for users 18+ in English, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese; Google AI subscribers get higher limits.
Verification and Responsibility
All outputs embed SynthID watermark; users can verify uploaded audio for Google AI origin.
Developed with music community input since 2023, Lyria 3 avoids mimicking artists—prompts inspire style only—with filters, reporting, and policy enforcement against IP violations.
Also enhances YouTube Shorts soundtracks via Dream Track for creators.
Access at gemini.google.com.
Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has called for a bold transformation of Nigeria’s public service from traditional bureaucracy to digital excellence, as he participated in the official flag-off of the Civil Service Technology Empowerment for Capacity and High Performance (CIVTECH) Programme in Cross River State.
Group photo of the HOS, Mr Orok Okon (middle), Rep of DG NITDA, Dr Aristotle Onuma (3rd left), DG CRS MEDA, Mr Great Ogban other state government officials
The programme, hosted by the Cross River State Government and organised by the Cross River State Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (CRS MEDA), is designed to equip 2,000 civil servants with critical digital skills required to drive efficient and technology-enabled service delivery.
In his keynote address titled “From Bureaucracy to Digital Excellence: Leveraging Technology for a High-Performing Public Service,” the NITDA DG who was represented by the Director of the Stakeholders Management and Partnership department, Dr Aristotle Onumo, emphasised that the future of governance depends on the ability of public institutions to embrace digital transformation.
“For decades, the public service has been the engine room of national development but in an era defined by speed, data, and innovation, traditional bureaucratic processes are no longer sufficient to meet the expectations of citizens and businesses,” he stated.
He noted that citizens today expect government services to reflect the efficiency and convenience they experience in digital banking, e-commerce, and mobile platforms.
Highlighting the economic imperative of digitalisation, the DG pointed out that Nigeria’s ICT sector contributed nearly 20 percent to the nation’s real GDP in 2024, underscoring the growing role of technology as a driver of economic growth and competitiveness.
While noting that digital transformation is no longer just a technology agenda, he said, “It is an economic agenda, it is a governance agenda, and it is a national competitiveness agenda.”
According to him, the cost of maintaining outdated bureaucratic systems includes delayed decision-making, inefficiencies, limited transparency, and declining public trust.
However, he emphasised that digital excellence provides a pathway to faster service delivery, improved accountability, increased productivity, and enhanced citizen satisfaction.
“This is the shift from paperwork to performance, from process-driven governance to outcome-driven governance,” he added.
Inuwa further emphasised that while infrastructure and systems are important, people remain central to institutional transformation.
“Technology alone does not transform institutions. People do, and digital excellence requires public servants who are digitally skilled, innovation-driven, solution-oriented, performance-focused, and citizen-centric,” he asserted.
Assuring participants that technology is not designed to replace public servants but to empower them, he said, “Technology frees you from repetitive administrative tasks so you can focus on strategic thinking, policy innovation, and national development.”
Outlining NITDA’s strategic priorities, he referenced ongoing efforts to promote digital literacy and skills development, strengthen digital public infrastructure, automate government processes, enhance cybersecurity and data protection, and encourage the adoption of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence across public institutions.
He commended Cross River State for embracing reform and positioning itself at the forefront of sub-national digital transformation, noting that initiatives like CIVTECH align with the Federal Government’s broader vision of building an efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric public service.
“The future of governance is digital. Together, we can transform governance. Together, we can transform Nigeria. And together, we can build a public service worthy of the digital age,” he concluded.
Declaring the flag-ff open, the state’s Head of Service, Mr Orok Okon, reaffirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening the capacity of its workforce.
He emphasised that, in an era defined by rapid technological advancement, public institutions must equip their personnel with the skills and competencies necessary to deliver efficient, technology-enabled services.
According to him, investing in human capital is essential not only for improving internal administrative processes but also for ensuring that citizens receive timely, transparent and high-quality service across all sectors.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General of CRS MEDA, Mr Great Ogban, expressed appreciation to the Governor and the Head of Service of the state for their consistent commitment to technology-driven workforce development.
He encouraged all shortlisted trainees to show full dedication, emphasising that their participation aligns with the state’s goal of transitioning toward a fully paperless civil service.
He expressed strong optimism about the state’s growing partnership with NITDA, noting that such collaboration will play a pivotal role in accelerating the digital transformation of Cross River State.
According to him, the joint efforts between the state government and NITDA will not only enhance the quality of digital training provided to civil servants, but also to help fast-track the transition toward a more efficient and technology-driven civil service.
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