“E-Government schemes need audit components"
Jonah Iboma
The deployment of electronic governance solutions in Nigeria may not yield desired results if the schemes are devoid of an audit component, a technology expert has warned. The Consulting Manager, EDP Audit and Security Associates, Mr. Christian Ekeigwe, believes that except government agencies deploying electronic solutions for the delivery of government activities understand the full implications of such solutions, they stand the risk of deploying the wrong solutions.He said, “The auditability of e-government seems to have been escaping our attention. With various bold initiatives of the government in e-governance at various levels of government, it is important for us to start sensitizing government officials and agencies on the risks of technology and the need for robust technology audit capability in the sector.”The call is timely given that electronic governance, which involves deploying IT-enabled means to deliver government services, has increasingly been growing in use. Some states that have deployed e-government solutions include Lagos, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Besides, various government agencies have also embraced schemes that have put certain portions of their businesses processes online. Ekeigwe noted that while IT could help ease governance, it could also be used as a means of fraud if not well managed. This, he noted, called for an effective IT audit system, which must include effective training of government personnel.“Government should be helped to embrace technology safely with full knowledge of the risk potentials: technology makes governance efficient, but it equally makes crime efficient. The weak link in government’s technology initiatives and strategies today is auditing,” he said. Ekeigwe added that the public sector auditors were not being prepared to contend with the challenges of technology, but stated that the “banking industry was a good example of what the government can do with developing IT audit competence for its audit corps.” Ekeigwe said a pilot project of the British DFID was recently done for the state and local governments in Lagos State’s Office of the Auditor-General, which now has sincetrained its auditors to audit IT systems and established the first Audit Automation Centre in the public sector in Nigeria.
The deployment of electronic governance solutions in Nigeria may not yield desired results if the schemes are devoid of an audit component, a technology expert has warned. The Consulting Manager, EDP Audit and Security Associates, Mr. Christian Ekeigwe, believes that except government agencies deploying electronic solutions for the delivery of government activities understand the full implications of such solutions, they stand the risk of deploying the wrong solutions.He said, “The auditability of e-government seems to have been escaping our attention. With various bold initiatives of the government in e-governance at various levels of government, it is important for us to start sensitizing government officials and agencies on the risks of technology and the need for robust technology audit capability in the sector.”The call is timely given that electronic governance, which involves deploying IT-enabled means to deliver government services, has increasingly been growing in use. Some states that have deployed e-government solutions include Lagos, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. Besides, various government agencies have also embraced schemes that have put certain portions of their businesses processes online. Ekeigwe noted that while IT could help ease governance, it could also be used as a means of fraud if not well managed. This, he noted, called for an effective IT audit system, which must include effective training of government personnel.“Government should be helped to embrace technology safely with full knowledge of the risk potentials: technology makes governance efficient, but it equally makes crime efficient. The weak link in government’s technology initiatives and strategies today is auditing,” he said. Ekeigwe added that the public sector auditors were not being prepared to contend with the challenges of technology, but stated that the “banking industry was a good example of what the government can do with developing IT audit competence for its audit corps.” Ekeigwe said a pilot project of the British DFID was recently done for the state and local governments in Lagos State’s Office of the Auditor-General, which now has sincetrained its auditors to audit IT systems and established the first Audit Automation Centre in the public sector in Nigeria.
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