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Onu Backs Electronic Voting System for Nigeria

Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, Minister of Science and Technology, said Nigeria needs to reform its electoral system by adopting electronic voting to help eliminate errors caused by human factor in compiling results.
This was contained in a statement released by Josephine Ademu, Press and Public Relations Officer of the ministry, on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to her, the minister said this during a facility visit to the Electronic Development Institute (ELDI) in Awka, Anambra on Monday.
The statement said Onu was positive that if the country reformed its electoral system and adopted e-voting, election malpractices, fraud, and less credible results would be a thing of the past.
He said that with this in place, more Nigerians would be willing to participate in the nation’s electoral processes.
Onu said the nation’s democratic processes would experience tremendous improvement with these reforms.
“Democracy is like a living organism that grows like humans, animals and plants but for this to happen, we need electronic voting which shall reduce malpractices associated with human errors,” he said.
He noted that with the level of innovative work done at the ELDI, Nigeria would no longer need to import electronic products.
He said rather than import the products, they shall be produced in the country to satisfy local demand and the surplus would be exported.
He added that this would help improve the nation’s gross domestic product.
The minister said his ministry had teamed up with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to build voting machines with encouraging results.
He also said Nigeria had a population of over 200 million people and needed to be in a position to feed its population, reiterating that to achieve food security, mechanized farming must be embraced.
He enjoined investors to see farming as a lucrative business, while calling for more investment in large scale farming equipment such as tractors and harvesters, among others.
Earlier, Dr Patrick Okwu, the Managing Director of the Institute, commended the minister and his team for the vigor and resilience brought to the science and technology sector.
He said the annual science and technology expo had not only brought healthy competition among various research and academic institutions but also brought to the limelight technological capacity of Nigerians.
Okwu appealed for more funding from the government to enable the institute commercialize recently developed inventions and innovations.
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Anambra Shines in 2025 E-Governance Rankings, Setting National Standards

Anambra State has once again demonstrated its leadership in digital transformation, emerging as one of Nigeria’s top three states in the 2025 e-Governance Report published by the Panorama CIAPS Governance Performance Index (CGPI).
According to the report — a collaborative effort between Nigerian Panorama and the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Professional Studies (CIAPS) — Anambra ranks alongside Lagos and Enugu as the leading states in adopting and implementing e-governance practices that foster accountability, transparency, and improved service delivery.
In his remarks, Professor Anthony Kila, Director of CIAPS, emphasized the importance of e-governance in shaping how governments interact with citizens. “The centrality of e-governance allows us to assess the performance of state governments in the country. How the government treats the digital world says a lot about them,” he said.
The report evaluated states based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including website security, up-to-date content, public engagement, availability of online services, policy updates, and user accessibility. Anambra’s performance reflects the state’s deliberate investment in digital infrastructure and its commitment to leveraging technology as a tool for inclusive governance.
Reacting to the recognition, the Managing Director/CEO of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, CFA, described the report as a welcome validation of the efforts being made under the leadership of Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, CFR, to reposition Anambra as a liveable and prosperous smart mega-city.
“This is not just about being tech-savvy,” Agbata said. “It’s about using digital tools to create real impact — making the government more accessible, responsive, and transparent. Anambra is building a digital future that works for everyone.”
The CGPI Report recommended that all states intensify efforts to train public servants, maintain digital platforms effectively, and build user-friendly systems that keep citizens informed and empowered. For Anambra, this recognition serves both as a milestone and a motivation to scale new heights.
As the journey continues, Anambra remains focused on setting the pace for e-governance in Nigeria in line with the Governor’s mantra of Everything Technology & Technology Everywhere.
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SERAP Urges National Assembly to Reject Tinubu’s $24Bn Loan Request Over Debt Concerns

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the National Assembly to reject the Tinubu administration’s request to borrow $24 billion, warning that the move would significantly deepen Nigeria’s debt crisis.
In a statement posted on its official X account, the advocacy group warned that the proposed borrowing would raise Nigeria’s total debt stock to an estimated ₦183 trillion—an amount it described as “clearly not sustainable and not in the public interest.”
“The National Assembly must immediately refuse to approve the Tinubu administration’s request to borrow $24 billion,” the group said. “The growing national debt is not sustainable and not in the public interest.”
SERAP expressed concern over the heavy burden of debt servicing, which it said is already consuming a substantial portion of government revenue, leaving little room for critical public investment.
Nigeria’s total public debt is projected to surpass ₦180 trillion following the president’s latest loan request. The borrowing plan includes a proposal for over $21.5 billion in external loans, which equates to ₦33.39 trillion at the official exchange rate of ₦1,590 per dollar. The administration is also seeking approval for a domestic bond issuance worth ₦757.9 billion to settle outstanding pension liabilities.
President Tinubu said the 2025–2026 borrowing plan targets key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education, water supply, security, and employment generation. He noted that the plan is also intended to cushion the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal.
The total loan request comprises $21.5 billion, €2.19 billion, and 15 billion Japanese Yen, alongside a €65 million grant. Tinubu assured lawmakers that the funds would be directed toward development projects across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with emphasis on rail networks, healthcare infrastructure, and poverty alleviation programs.
On pension-related borrowing, the president explained that the proposed bond issuance is aimed at clearing backlogs under the Contributory Pension Scheme. The measure, he added, has already received approval from the Federal Executive Council and is expected to improve retirees’ welfare, restore trust in the pension system, and inject liquidity into the economy.
Nigeria’s public debt has surged in recent years, rising by 48.6% in 2024 to ₦144.66 trillion—up from ₦97.34 trillion in 2023. The Federal Government accounts for 95% of that total.
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