Lagos unveils upgrade on citizen's engagement platform for transparency

Citizen 2.0

From left, Special Adviser Ministry of Science and Technology, Mr Akeem Fahm; Special Adviser, Office of Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale and Director General, Office of Transformation Creatives and Innovation, Mr Toba Otunsanya during a News Conference on the CitizensGate 2.0 (A Citizen Engagement Platform) in Lagos on Thursday.

The Lagos State Government on Thursday unveiled an upgrade on a citizen – government communication channel to entertain complaints and enable citizens to participate in government processes.

The multichannel platform named “Citizens’ Gate 2.0 App” is a development on the 1.0 version designed to accommodate interactions between the government and the citizens.

The pillars of Citizens Gate application, according to the Special Adviser to the Governor on Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, centred on Citizen’s participation, Open Communication and Transparency on the part of the government.

Adebowale, who spoke at  news conference at the Lagos government secretariat, said the multichannel platform is tailored to offer Social benefits as Feedback Mechanism, Population Profiling, Captures Accurate Public Opinion, Tracking and Enforcing of Government Performances, Security/Community Policing, LASRRA registration and verification, and Access to day-to-day activities across MDAs.

She added that the platform was conceived to have an all-inclusive government in the State where citizens can participate pragmatically in the process of governance.

The special adviser stated that “the CitizensGate 2.0 Platform” is an application that interfaced with the citizens of Lagos State and is expected to take governance to the doorstep of Lagosians irrespective of their social class for all-inclusive governance, while bringing governance closer to the governed.

According to her, the platform is a web and app-based e-governance channel that enabled access to, “and delivery of public goods i.e government information, public assets and service through a well-defined customer relationship management infrastructure that capitalizes on both physical ICT hardware and soft human skills.”

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Adebowale further said the Citizens Gate platform would enable citizens to navigate all existing MDAs website “and build a road map for a greater citizen’s engagement as a One Stop-Shop for everything about Lagos State, addressing several issues, enquires, complaints, suggestions, commendations and giving the citizens and visitors “Real Time direct access to Lagos State Government and its activities through both smart phone and non-smart phone users on a 24/7 toll free non-emergency number to put a call across to the Citizens Gate Customer Service Centre for enquiries or complaints at the command and control centre.”

She said government expected that the One Stop–Shop aspect of the Citizens Gate would allow end users to sit comfortably at home or on their handheld mobile device, navigate and connect with all MDAs at a go without any difficulties.

“The platform will be made available free to citizen, tourists, friends of Lagos including people in diaspora and everyone via Apple App Store, Google Play Store, Social Media Platforms and more,” she said.

According to her, the platform is expected to deliver economic and social benefits to the entire citizens of Lagos State and investors as a drive towards the Smart City Status.

Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hakeem Fahm, said the platform is a mechanism to leverage technology for most government activities.

He expressed optimism that the citizens gate platform would provide immediate and efficient feedback from both the citizens and the government.

Special Adviser to Governor on Works and Infrastructure, Engr Aramide Adeyoye described the platform as a merchanism of bringing “participatory governance to the door step of citizens.”

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso said the platform would do good to bridge gaps identified between the government and the people.

He added that laying of 3,000km Fibre Optics, first phase, was about 90 percent completed and would be launched soon.
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