Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has reiterated his administration’s unwavering commitment to leveraging technology in streamlining government operations and improving service delivery.
Speaking during a meeting with top executives of the Central Securities Clearing System (CSCS) Plc at Government House on Tuesday, Governor Otti emphasized that digitalisation is a non-negotiable tool for building an efficient, transparent, and future-ready public service.
“We must continue to innovate and integrate systems. Truth be told, if you don’t embrace technology, it will leave you behind. Even technology companies become irrelevant if they don’t move with the times,” the Governor stated.
Governor Otti highlighted some of the state’s ongoing reforms, including the complete digitalisation of Abia’s land administration system, from application to Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) issuance. According to him, approvals are now processed electronically from his desk without reliance on paper files.
“This aligns perfectly with where we’re headed,” he added.
The Governor welcomed CSCS’s proposal to support Abia with an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) and called for a technical follow-up session involving key government officials, including the Secretary to the State Government, Head of Service, Chief Information Officer, and the Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation.
Earlier, Alhaji Haruna Jalo Waziri, CEO of CSCS, commended Governor Otti’s visionary leadership and expressed CSCS’s readiness to partner with Abia in deploying digital solutions across government processes.
“We have moved from just handling settlements to building tech infrastructure that enables seamless document digitisation and market integration,” Waziri said. “We believe the time is right to work with Abia State to digitalise operations and support the people.”
Beyond automation, Waziri also revealed CSCS’s plan to engage Abia’s business community on succession planning and sustainable investment, noting that many Nigerian businesses struggle to transition beyond one generation.
“Our goal is to bring the exchange community and advisors to Abia to help local entrepreneurs build scalable, sustainable enterprises,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr. Adeyinka Shonekan, Executive Director at CSCS, referenced successful digitisation projects executed for institutions like Edo State Government, FIRS, NTA, Polaris Bank, and several Nigerian universities.
He introduced M-Files, the digital platform CSCS deploys to manage workflows and data, assuring Governor Otti of the company’s commitment to delivering impactful results in Abia.
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