Anambra ICT Agency Audits 25 MDAs, Uncovers Digital Gaps in Push for Smarter Government

By Praise Chinecherem

The Anambra State ICT Agency has intensified its drive to build a more accountable and digitally driven government, assessing about 25 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to determine their level of digital readiness and compliance.

The exercise, being conducted by the Agency’s MDA and Compliance Unit, is part of efforts to establish an evidence-based picture of digital government across Anambra State and identify areas requiring targeted intervention.

Among the institutions assessed are the Ministries of Justice, Education, Agriculture, and Commerce and Industry, as well as other key government agencies.

During the assessments, the ICT Agency evaluates critical areas including official government websites and email systems, digital records management, online payment and approval platforms, digital public services, data management, cybersecurity practices, service delivery, and compliance with government ICT standards.

Speaking on the exercise, the Unit Lead, Madam Chinyelu Odigbo, said the assessments are designed to move digital governance planning away from assumptions and toward measurable evidence.

“Government does not run on assumptions. It runs on evidence. These MDA visits are how the Agency builds that evidence, MDA by MDA,” Odigbo said.

She explained that the findings would give the Agency a clearer understanding of the actual state of digital government across the MDAs and enable it to determine where technical support, training, compliance guidance and other interventions are most needed.

Preliminary findings have already pointed to areas of concern. The assessment revealed uncertainty around compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 in some MDAs, while records management practices differ significantly across institutions.

These findings, according to the Agency, are helping to identify specific gaps that require attention as Anambra continues its digital transformation agenda.

Odigbo stressed that the exercise is not designed as a one-off inspection. Rather, the ICT Agency will continue to track identified gaps, provide compliance guidance to MDAs and maintain communication through designated ICT focal persons within the institutions.

As the assessments progress, the data gathered is expected to form part of a broader digital maturity scorecard for government institutions across Anambra.

The initiative will also help the Agency prioritise interventions and measure progress, providing a clearer basis for strengthening digital systems and improving the delivery of government services to citizens.

With the assessment covering more MDAs, the emerging evidence could provide Anambra with a clearer roadmap for building a government system where digital services, data protection, cybersecurity and institutional compliance are measured rather than assumed.