By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Nigeria’s digital governance
efforts could benefit from lessons drawn from South Korea’s established digital
government systems, according to the National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data
Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji.
Olatunji made the remarks
after delivering a response speech on behalf of Nigerian delegates at a
high-level training programme on digital governance in Seoul, South Korea, led
by the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani.
The programme was organised
by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), in partnership with
Sangmyung University and the Korea Productivity Centre, to strengthen strategic
leadership, benchmark policies and provide practical insights into Korea’s
digital government experience.
In his remarks, Olatunji
commended the organisers for providing the opportunity for knowledge exchange
and capacity development. He also acknowledged KOICA’s support for Nigeria’s
digital governance journey, particularly through its collaboration on the development
of the country’s eGovernment Masterplan 1.0 and 2.0.
He said the initiatives
re-echo the value of international partnerships in strengthening public
institutions and advancing digital government.
Olatunji noted that Nigeria
had continued to make deliberate efforts to implement its digital
transformation agenda through policies, infrastructure development,
institutional reforms and human capital development.
“As we accelerate these
efforts, learning from countries with established digital government systems,
such as South Korea, offers valuable insights into how technology can improve
public service delivery, enhance efficiency and create better outcomes for
citizens,” he said.
He stressed that digital
transformation requires more than technology, pointing to the importance of
strategic leadership, effective policies, strong infrastructure and continuous
investment in human capital.
“The future of governance is
digital, but its success depends on the strength of our institutions, the
quality of our leadership and our commitment to continuous learning and
innovation,” Olatunji said.
The training brought
together key stakeholders across Nigeria’s digital governance architecture,
with a focus on strengthening leadership and learning from South Korea’s
experience in digital government.
Olatunji expressed
confidence that the knowledge acquired would contribute to efforts to build a
more efficient, inclusive and digitally enabled public sector.
On behalf of the delegates,
he expressed appreciation to KOICA, Sangmyung University and the Korea
Productivity Centre for the initiative and reaffirmed their commitment to
translating the knowledge gained into practical outcomes for Nigeria.
