The Kwara State Government has expressed its support for the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill, describing it as a key initiative to enhance governmental operations and improve citizen engagement.

Mrs. Bola Olukoju, the state's Commissioner for Communications, made the remarks during the stakeholders' engagement on the Bill held in Ilorin, the state capital. She emphasised that the passage of the Bill would streamline public administration and promote transparency in governance.

“The Kwara State Government is proud to support technologically-driven initiatives, especially with the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill. It will help smooth government activities, relations, administration, and citizen engagement.

“Nigeria is moving into the real digital economy, and the Kwara State Government is always proud to support anything that promotes digital economy, bearing in mind that we have Ilorin Innovation Hub, which should be ready before the end of the year. It will change the state's tech ecosystem. It will have a lot of startups, “Olukoju said.

Olukoju noted that the state government is embracing the digital economy to save resources and support particularly technologically inclined youth, saying the state has a youth population ready to tap into the tech ecosystem.

“From the presentations, the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill will support many entrepreneurs, especially the youth. I hope the bill will be scaled through in the National Assembly,” Olukoju said.

For her part, Banke Ajaguna, the special assistant to the minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, said the stakeholders' engagement was organised to bring together senior government officials, members of the state assemblies, tech ecosystem players, and civil society organisations to access the draft bill and secure the buy-in of digital economy players.

“What we are doing with this stakeholders' engagement is to truly shape a policy that is of the people, by the people, and for the people within the digital economy. This engagement is to get the buy-in of the stakeholders, ask the right questions, and have the Bill answer the right questions when it becomes a law and works for the people within the sector,” Ajaguna said.