As part of its oversight functions, the Anambra State House of Assembly, through its Committee on Information on Wednesday, visited the State ICT Agency for a familiarization meeting with the Managing Director, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata (CFA).
This visit represents the critical collaboration between the legislative and executive arms in driving technological progress and ensuring effective governance in the state.
The delegation from the state legislature was led by the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Fred Ezenwa representing Onitsha South Constituency One, while others included Hon. Jude Akpua (Njikoka 2), Hon. Justice Azuka (Onitsha North 1), and Hon. Patrick Udeoba (Anambra West).
During the visit, the delegation met with the ICT Agency’s leadership to gain a comprehensive understanding of the agency’s operations, discuss its challenges, and explore ways to address them within the framework of the law.
Explaining the Committee’s role, the Chairman, Hon Ezenwa stated, “We are acting according to the Constitution of the Federal Republic, Sections 128 and 129, which mandate us to oversee the activities of agencies like this.
“If you have challenges, we look forward to this visit exposing them, so that we can address them in the House to ensure you are more productive.
“If there is a need for an amendment of the law establishing the agency or for a motion to be moved, we will do it to make your work easier.”
Addressing the delegation, the ICT Agency’s Managing Director, CFA explained the agency’s mandate to drive e-governance across Anambra State, saying that through the guidance and leadership of Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Anambra has become one of the most respected states in terms of technology adoption and development.
“Whether it is from the State Government standpoint or from the standpoint of people of the state and how they are adopting technology, Anambra State is growing organically in terms of technology and it’s getting.
“Our vision is to build a digitally transformed Anambra State. At the core of our mandate is e-government capacity for the state—to build it and deepen it,” he said.
CFA elaborated on the state’s progress in digital infrastructure, noting, “One of the first things Mr. Governor did was to remove the Right of Way (RoW) charges, which has encouraged infrastructure companies to work with the state. As a result, people now have fiber in their homes, a significant improvement compared to what we had before, all thanks to these reform changes.”
He further discussed the agency’s role in pioneering digital transformation through collaborations with various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
“In terms of e-government, some things have happened in the state. Because our role is more of an incubatory role, we work with these MDAs to fulfill their goals. For instance, we partnered with the Ministry of Health to develop the Ashefamu e-platform that gathers all the accredited health systems in Anambra State, and with the Ministry of Budget to automate their budget systems. Ours is a supervisory and advisory role to ensure these projects succeed.”
“We are currently in partnership with a provider deploying internet in the Secretariat, and we have also extended this service to public places like Aroma, Eke Awka, Ifite, and Book Foundation. Expanding broadband access is crucial because the more Ndi Anambra have access to the Internet, the more possibilities open up for them,” he said.
Continuing, the ICT Agency boss mentioned the agency’s initiatives in training civil servants and distributing laptops to civil servants, teachers, and heads of local government officials.
CFA expressed gratitude for the Committee’s engagement, emphasizing that continued collaboration is essential as the agency strives to overcome challenges and achieve its objectives.
