The 2023 Nigeria GovTech Awards were won by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited and its group chief executive officer, Mele Kyari, for their outstanding public sector service performance.
The GCEO got the Distinguished GovTech Trailblazer Award, while the National Oil Company took home the Best Federal MDA in Digital Initiatives in Reengineering Government Processes Award.
The prizes were given in appreciation of the proactive actions taken by the GCEO leadership to activate the Business Continuity Plan (BCP), which is dependent on the digital automation of the business’s processes.
In order to maintain the operations of NNPC Ltd. after the pandemic, automation was implemented, among other things, to lessen the impacts of COVID-19. As a result, Kyari is now known as “Mr. Automation” in the industry. The company’s spokesman, Olufemi Soneye, stated on Sunday.
Notably, the GCEO enhanced reporting effectiveness and real-time performance tracking by automating the Key Performance Indicator dashboard throughout the whole IT Enterprise and Architecture through the NNPC IT Division.
Additionally, Kyari enabled Microsoft Enterprise Additional Licences for NNPC Digital Transformation projects, which is projected to save the company more than $1 million in costs.
Indeed, on October 13, 2023, at the International Conference Centre, where the awards were held, NNPC Ltd. and the GCEO both sparkled brightly like a thousand stars.
“Advancing Public Service Reforms Through Digital Transformation” was the theme of the event.
The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), an organization under the Presidency, presented the Nigeria GovTech Awards in support of a federal government initiative that brought together federal, state, local, and technology industry players to debate and identify novel approaches and emerging
ways where ICT could be applied to improve public services and Nigerians’ overall quality of life.
Even though it was evident that the BPSR selection process was based solely on merit, the NNPC Ltd. and its GCEO, Malam Kyari, outperformed a number of other public sector competitors in winning the award, enhancing the legitimacy of both the selection process and the ensuing rewards.
In line with the federal government’s digital transformation of the public sector, Mele Kyari was commended by Dasuki Arabi, the DG of BPSR, for his use of technology to drive business at NNPC Ltd. He was also commended for his exemplary leadership in advancing GovTech initiatives and digital governance within the country’s oil conglomerate.
Recall that prior to the awards ceremony, Arabi wrote to the GCEO of NNPC Ltd. on September 19, 2023, saying as follows: “We are happy to inform you that your organization will be honored with the prestigious Nigeria GovTech Award in the category of ‘Best Federal: MDA in digital initiatives in reengineering government,’ following a nationwide nomination and online voting process initiated on Radio, Television, and Newspaper publication.”
Arabi had said that the honors served as a “genuine platform” for redefining Nigeria’s public service as a catalyst for development.