Anambra State is ramping up its digital transformation initiatives with a focus on integrating small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) into the formal economy by the year 2030. This effort is part of a broader economic modernisation agenda spearheaded by Governor Chukwuma Soludo, who aims to leverage technology and innovation to enhance the state's economic landscape.

The state's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) agency is now entering the second phase of its digital strategy. This phase marks a transition from establishing basic technology infrastructure to enhancing online government services and automating public administration. Chukwuemeka Agbata, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State ICT Agency, highlighted the agency's ambitious goal to digitise every government entity in the state, thereby making public services more accessible to residents and businesses.

Agbata stated, "My core vision is that we would have digitised every single government entity in Anambra State." The agency plans to expand the OneGov platform, which will allow individuals and businesses to initiate government processes online, thus eliminating the need for repeated visits to government offices. This initiative aims to streamline interactions with the government, reducing both the time and costs associated with accessing public services.

The push for digital transformation is closely tied to the formalisation of SMEs, which Agbata identified as a significant challenge within the state's economy. The ICT agency is collaborating with the Ministry of Commerce to encourage businesses, particularly those in major markets, to register and engage in the formal economy. Formalisation is expected to enhance access to financial services, credit, insurance, and government programmes, while also improving the government's ability to gather data on economic activities and formulate targeted policies.

"Business formalisation can unlock access to several economic opportunities," Agbata noted, emphasizing that registered businesses are better positioned to receive institutional support. The digital strategy also aims to alleviate the administrative burdens associated with registering and maintaining businesses, particularly for smaller enterprises.

Recent data from the Smart Anambra platform indicates a growing demand for digital government services, with approximately 14,000 visits recorded between July 9 and July 29, averaging about 700 visits daily. This traffic suggests that residents are eager to engage with the government digitally when services are made accessible.

The state government plans to expand the range of services available online and utilise data from user interactions to identify and address service delivery challenges. Furthermore, Anambra is moving towards a paperless administration, with the State Executive Council already operating under a paperless system. However, a phased approach will be adopted for the wider civil service, starting with selected Ministries, Departments, and Agencies as pilot projects.

Connectivity remains a concern, particularly in rural areas where telecommunications operators may hesitate to invest due to limited commercial returns. The ICT agency is exploring the use of federal infrastructure and the Universal Service Provision Fund to enhance connectivity in underserved communities.

Additionally, the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into the state's digital strategy is on the horizon. The agency aims to position Anambra as Nigeria's first AI-native government technology institution, which could revolutionise customer service, document processing, fraud detection, and data analysis within government functions. However, as digital services expand, the importance of cybersecurity and data protection becomes increasingly critical, as state platforms will handle more sensitive information about residents and businesses.