Technologists develop reforms monitoring application for MDAs

Team of young technologists have developed applications that would enable the Federal Government to monitor its reform processes in its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) in partnership with Level 5 Lab at the weekend engaged young techno-preneurs in a two-day competition tagged: “PEBECHakathon: Government Business Meets Technology.”

Its objective is to create a business reform database, which would measure the reform’s impact internally through SERVICOM and other processes, proffer solutions to challenges and get feedback from Nigerians.

Senior Special Assistant to the President on Industry, Trade and Investment and Coordinator of the Enabling Business Environment Secretariat (EBES), Jumoke Oduwole, described the application as whistle blowing device.

She said the idea was to create a system where Nigerians can have a transparent and accountable medium to monitor business reform processes in all sectors and give feedback to government.

She added that the competition was very keen as the techno-preneurs delivered solutions that “put the power in the hands of Nigerians to tell government what was going on.Oduwole pointed out that the application is capable of distinguishing between emergencies and giving feedback that heads of ministries and agencies, would be able to resolve immediately.

“This is going to help us implement the executive orders by the Acting President Yemi Osibajo.“So, we are excited and we are going to work towards implementing it immediately. It is a high point for the PEBEC reform effort because even though we are tracking internally, this application will give us the empirical data we need to achieve undiluted transparency in the country,” she said.

Managing Director, Level 5 Lab, Chika Nwobi said with the techno-preneurs idea, government would come up with solutions to problems in all sectors of the economy.Of the fifteen teams that competed, Chika said the winner came up with a comprehensive idea that covers major areas of challenge to government.

“PEBEC told us that they want Nigerians to be able to complain and give their feedback on the different services in an easy way. This covers the different ministries. With what they have done, you can use your mobile phones to access it online.

“We felt that it will be good to encourage them even though what they have is not perfect but we think they can work on it and try to improve it to get better so that someone people from different walks of life can always use it as a whistle blowing device and give feedback to government whether positive or negative.

“Some of their solution is tied to remita. So that when people make payments, we would be able to track those payments to the service. Other teams use twitter and social media to build a solution where they can pull feedback from twitter and they will aggregate it and send it back to the government,” she added.

Nwobi said it was encouraging to see the quality of innovative ideas emanating from the young talents, adding: “The competition brought out different ideas and solutions.”
The Chief Executive Office, VenturesGarden Group, Wunmi Akinwunmi, said the ideas were the perfect solution that would assist the government in proffering solutions and monitor complaints and progress in the business climate reform process.