The Lagos State Government on Thursday launched its upgraded citizen and government communication and multichannel platform named “Citizens Gate 2.0 App,” a citizen engagement platform, aimed at bringing governance closer to the people.

The Citizens Gate 2.0 is an improvement on the 1.0 version designed to accommodate interactions between the government and the citizens. The platform is expected to deliver economic and social benefits to investors and the entire citizens of Lagos State as a drive toward the Smart City status.

The pillars of the Citizens Gate application center on Citizen participation, Open Communication, and Transparency on the part of the government. It will also offer Social benefits such as Feedback Mechanism, Population Profiling, Capturing Accurate Public Opinion, Tracking and Enforcing Government Performances, Security/Community Policing, LASRRA registration and verification, and Access to day-to-day activities across MDAs.

Speaking during a press conference held on Thursday at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja to unveil the Soft Launch of the Upgraded Lagos Citizens Gate platform, Special Adviser to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Civic Engagement, Princess Aderemi Adebowale, said the platform was conceived to have an all-inclusive government in the State where citizens can participate pragmatically in the process of governance.

“The Citizens Gate 2.0 Platform is an application that interfaces with the citizens of Lagos State and is expected to take governance to the doorstep of Lagosians irrespective of their social class for all-inclusive governance while bringing governance closer to the governed,” she said.

Adebowale also disclosed that the platform is a web and App-based e-governance channel that enables “access to and delivery of public goods i.e government information, public assets and service through a well-defined customer relationship management infrastructure that capitalizes on both physical ICT hardware and soft human skills.”

She said: “The Citizens Gate 2.0 platform will enable citizens to navigate all existing MDAs websites and build a road map for a greater citizen’s engagement as a One-Stop-Shop for everything about Lagos State, addressing several issues, inquiries, complaints, suggestions, commendations, and giving the citizens and visitors.

“We expect that the One Stop–Shop aspect of the Citizens Gate will allow end users to sit comfortably at home or on their handheld mobile device, navigate and connect with all MDAs at a go without any difficulties.”

She appreciated Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu for what she described as “his unflinching support” on the completion of the project by graciously approving funds while acknowledging other stakeholders.

Adebowale also commended the Lagos State Government for blazing the trail in bringing governance to the people via mobile phones and the internet through the deployment of the more robust platform, a web and app-based e-governance channel that enables access to and delivery of public goods.

In his remark, the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Lagos, Mr. Hakeem Fahm, said the platform is a mechanism to leverage technology for most government activities.

He said the State through the platform would continue to leverage technology to bring governance closer to the people, enhance feedback mechanism, transparency as well as the real-time interface while thanking the office for getting the citizens involved.

Fahm while appreciating the Office of Civic Engagement for the custody of the platform, assured his Ministry’s support to do due diligence for its expansion and management.

Also speaking, the Special Adviser to Governor Sanwo-Olu on Works and Infrastructure, Engr (Mrs) Aramide Adeyoye, described the platform as a mechanism of bringing “participatory governance to the doorstep of citizens.”

Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso said the platform would do good to bridge gaps identified between the government and the people.

He said the platform is a useful tool and would ensure participatory governance while keeping Lagosians involved scientifically, adding that it is a very worthy process in bridging the communication gap.