Cross River State has taken a significant step towards enhancing digital governance as a two-member assessment team from the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) arrived to evaluate the state's readiness for a major capacity-building initiative.
During their visit to Cross River State, the KOICA team in Nigeria, led by Manager Marvis Eta and Assistant Kayode Adebisi, paid a courtesy call on the Deputy Governor, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, where they provided an overview of the Project for Building Foundations Towards Digital Governance in Nigeria and emphasized their plan to assess the state’s preparedness, identifying areas for improvement ahead of the training.
In his remark, the facilitator of the program, Honourable Commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr. Justin Beshel said, the initiative is designed to equip government officials with essential digital skills to improve service delivery, drive economic growth, and foster inclusive development.
He intimated that the KOICA-backed program includes a grant-aided training set to take place from March 18–20, 2025, with 110 Cross River State government officials expected to participate.
Responding, Deputy Governor Hon Peter Odey expressed the state government's commitment to ensuring the project's success, emphasizing the importance of digital governance in modernizing public administration and improving service efficiency. He assured the KOICA delegation of the state’s readiness to provide the necessary support for the training and its long-term implementation.
"We recognize the critical role of digital governance in advancing our state's development goals. This initiative will not only build the capacity of our officials but also position Cross River as a model for digital governance in Nigeria," Odey stated.
He also commended KOICA for its generous support and applauded Dr. Justin Beshel for his leadership in driving the initiative. He urged participating officials to seize the opportunity to enhance their digital skills, emphasizing that the knowledge gained would significantly impact governance and service delivery in the state.
Present at the meeting were the Secretary to State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh and the Head of Service, Dr. Innocent Eteng.
Deputy Governor's Press Unit.
