Huawei proposes new eGovernment architecture to improve Nigeria’s rank

Huawei, a global information and communication technology provider, has asked the Nigerian government to consider the concept of ‘One Cloud + One Network’ as Nigeria’s national eGovernment digital infrastructure architecture.

Achieving the eGovernment project has been a moving target, with past administrations splashing billions of naira in scarce resources with no result. Nigeria is ranked 140 out of 193 countries in the world on the eGovernment index.

According to the United Nation’s eGovernment Development Index (2022), Nigeria does not even feature among the top 16 countries with the best eGovernment ranking. The survey finds that South Africa, Mauritius, Seychelles, and Tunisia, led the 2022 digital government rankings in Africa. The socred highest when it comes to the scope and quality of online services, the status of telecommunication infrastructure and existing human capacity. Others in the top 16 include Morocco, Egypt, Ghana, Cape Verde, Algeria, Kenya, Gabon, Botswana, Rwanda, Cote d’Ivoire, Namibia, and Zambia.

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Olanrewaju Odekunle, deputy managing director, of Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, said addressing the eGovernment needs of the country has become critical to its development.
“So, Huawei proposes the concept of “one cloud + one network” as the national eGovernment digital infrastructure architecture. ‘One cloud’ means a national cloud supporting government services, AI innovation, education, healthcare, and scientific research. ‘One Network’ represents the national dedicated network connecting cities, government branches, and even remote areas, including villages, schools, and hospitals,” Odekunle said.

He also sees, the national eGovernment digital infrastructure enhancing the efficiency and quality of government services, establishing a solid foundation for developing the digital economy, bridging the digital divide, and addressing concerns about data sovereignty.
He stated that the telecom network is an ROI-centered investment by business companies, while a private network for eGovernment is a human-centered investment by the government, noting that in the current context, communication infrastructure has become one of the critical infrastructures, a dedicated private network for eGovernment is highly demanded, to ensure the security, availability, inclusivity, for the emergency communication and the marginalized regions.

Eric Chen, Strategy Director Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, described telecom infrastructure as a critical foundation that can enable e-government service. There is, therefore, a need to bridge the digital infrastructural gap in Nigeria to make it beneficial to both government and citizens.

Chen stated that the fourth industrial revolution, which is enabled by digital technology, will play a key role in ensuring a prosperous e-government service development in Nigeria.