As the Project 774 Digital Capacity Training programme continues, the Government Monitoring Team has conducted assessment visits to Ilorin West and Offa Local Government Areas (LGAs) to evaluate compliance, curriculum alignment, and performance outcomes.
The monitoring exercises commenced with a review of the training modules to ensure that all delivery aligned with the state’s standardized curriculum.
The impact assessment revealed a significant transformation in digital literacy among local council personnel. Speaking on the outcomes in Offa LGA, the Internal Auditor, Alhaja Sulyman Hafusat Nike, highlighted the exponential growth in staff capacity.
“Before this intervention, only about 20% of our staff possessed basic computer knowledge. Today, over 95% of the participants can operate computers efficiently and completely without supervision,” she stated.
Corroborating this success, the Assistant Director of Administration for Offa LGA, Mr. Ishola Andrew Olaitan, described the programme as an eye-opener for previously tech-deficient staff, recommending that advanced phases of the training be expanded to include all cadres of administrative officers.
To sustain the momentum of the state-sponsored initiative, local government leaderships have actively expanded their digital infrastructure. Mrs. Oyinlade Banke Ibidunni, the Head of Department for Planning, Research, and Statistics in Offa LGA, disclosed that the Local Government Chairman, Hon Sulaiman Olatunji Omituntun procured 10 additional laptops and fully renovated the council’s ICT Centre to support the training. She further commended the facilitators for their commitment to the project, while urging the state government to institutionalize the training to ensure continuous human capital development.
Addressing the stakeholders, the monitoring team commended the enthusiastic approach of the Ilorin West and Offa local government staff in embracing the digital training.
The team praised the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, CON, for his visionary leadership in driving true local government autonomy, which paved the way for structurally equipping grassroots personnel with digital skills that will bring efficiency to LGA administration. Kwara State remains the only state in Nigeria currently domesticating and utilizing the federal “Project 774 Connectivity” framework to train and digitally empower its LGA staff. Kwara’s selection as a primary beneficiary of the national rollout was a direct result of the sustained, tech-driven investments championed by Governor AbdulRazaq.
It was emphasized that modernizing the digital skillset of local officials directly eliminates poor record-keeping, enhances data security, and builds workflow efficiency. He noted that the performance of individual local government personnel compounds to drive overall governance outcomes at both the state and national levels.
Looking ahead to the grand finale of the programme, the training will culminate in a final project exhibition at the Ilorin Innovation Hub. For the exhibition, each LGA is mandated to design and present practical, problem-based digital solutions tailored to the peculiar developmental challenges of their localities.
Furthermore, to guarantee organizational strengthening and project sustainability, the best five (5) participants from each LGA will advance to specialized training to form a dedicated ICT Team for their respective local councils.
The monitoring visit concluded with joint expressions of gratitude from the leadership, administrative staff, and participants of the LGAs, who thanked the Executive Governor, the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, and all implementing partners for delivering a timely and transformative initiative to the grassroots.
