Electronic government as a paradigm shift for efficient public services

Purpose - Nigeria has set up an e-government initiative termed the "National e-Government Strategy" (NeGSt) for the purpose of using ICT infrastructure to enhance public services. It was expected that e-government would enable the Nigerian government at all levels to render efficiencies in the public sector, ensure higher productivity and economic growth, foster national competitiveness and lead to the attainment of the vision 20-2020. Regrettably, the e-services envisaged seem not to be impacting much on public service delivery in the country. The aim of this paper is to examine the benefits and the status of e-government in Nigeria, the barriers to the accomplishment of the goal, and some ways out. Design/methodology/approach - A total of ten federal government ministries in Nigeria that have an official website were sampled. The study population was 100 randomly drawn employees in the ministries, and a structured questionnaire and oral interviews were used. Data were analyzed using frequency tables, simple percentages, and bar charts. Findings - The study finds that e-government would provide faster access to government information, lower administrative costs, increase transparency in government ministries, and reduce bribery and corruption, among others. These opportunities are threatened by low bandwidth and internet penetration, inadequate ICT infrastructure and technicians, incessant power outages, technological obsolescence, and other barriers. The Nigerian government should carry out a SWOT analysis of the e-government project in the country, strengthen the e-government infrastructure and ensure steady power supply before embarking on the e-government project again. Practical implications - This paper exposes the challenges and strategies for the e-government initiative in Nigeria. It will help leaders to see areas of weakness and the need to re-strategize. The paper serves as a beacon for further research and discussion on e-government and online public services in developing countries. Originality/value - This paper exposes the challenges and strategies for thee-government initiative in Nigeria and suggests some measures for e-government to develop and to improve.