E-Governance Diffusion in Nigeria: The Case for Citizens' Demand

摘要

Since the formal adoption of electronic governance in 2004, efforts have been made to diffuse e-government strategies and practices within the public sector notably through the passage of the National Information Technology Policy, institutional leadership provided by the National E-Government Strategies Limited (NeGSt) and a booming information technology culture among the citizenry. However, rapid diffusion has also been constrained by limited access to stable electricity and broadband Internet technology. Beyond these factors which, in our view represent the "supply side" of e-governance, we review two case studies of successful electronic governance initiatives in Nigeria and suggest that "demand side" factors such as citizens' advocacy, participation in governance, preference for high quality public services as well as openness of government are also important in determining the rate at which e-government diffuses, and may also explain the differences in diffusion rates among countries.