The Nigerian government on Monday unveiled the Transparency Accountability and Sustainability (TAS), a digital platform designed to curb the spate of corruption in governance, improve efficiency, and create employment.
Nigeria e-Government Strategies Limited (NEGST) is managing the platform on behalf of the government. Earlier in the year, Transparency International ( IT) ranked Nigeria 146 out of 180 countries surveyed worldwide in its Corruption Perceptions Index.
With Nigeria’s population projected to become the world’s third most populous country with an estimated population of 402 million people by 2050, the country has to intensify efforts at eliminating the menace of corruption to be able to grow its economy enough to feed its people.
President Muhammadu Buhari had said in September that Nigeria was struggling with illicit financial flows ( IFF), making successive budget implementation a near impossibility over the past 15 years. By the currency exchange rate of N381 to the dollar, the country’s cumulative budget from 2004 to 2017 stood at approximately N60 trillion, while about N103 trillion was stolen in illicit transfers.
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Felix Obada, the executive vice chairman, NEGST said reversing the trend would require the government to embrace technology in the governance of the country, hence the urgent need for TAS. NEGST, a wholly private sector-driven company works with the government to implement electronic governance in Nigeria.
The company was responsible for Nigeria’s entrance into the space science and technology arena with the successful development and launch of the Nigeriasat-1 Low Earth Orbit Satellite in September 2003.
“Working with the present generation of young energetic and talented Nigerians, NEGST is ready to replicate the template of the highly successful pilot project and help the government and the people of Nigeria to do away with corruption and inefficiency in government businesses across the board,” Obada said.
