By Lukman Olabiyi
Lagos State Government yesterday unveiled the Lagos CitizensGate platform for getting feedback from citizens on policies, projects and others.
The Special Adviser, Office of Civic Engagement, Dr. Aderemi Adebowale, accompanied by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, disclosed this at the inter-ministerial launch of the application, held at Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos.
According to Adebowale, the CitizensGate 2.0 Platform is an application that interfaces with the citizens of Lagos State and is expected to take governance to the doorstep of residents irrespective of their social class for all-inclusive governance, while bringing governance closer to the governed.
She said, “In order to have an all-inclusive government in the state while we make conscious effort to establish, deepen and sustain its mode of engagement and communication with various stakeholders while providing a feedback mechanism on the activities and policies of the government, hence, the need for a more interactive Lagos State Citizens Gate 2.0 App irrespective of the kind of phone you use.’’
According to her, it features an omni-channel solution that listens to citizens’ feedback such as complaints, enquires suggestions and compliments.
She added that, “Some of those channels are its Website, Mobile app, WhatsApp and social media platforms, 767 toll-free line, which is our non-emergency number.
“The upgraded Lagos Citizens Gate 2.0 platform is tailored to offer Social benefits as Feedback Mechanism, Population Profiling, Captures Accurate Public Opinion, Tracking and Enforcing of Government Performances, Security/Community Policing, Lagos State Resident Registration Angency, LASRRA, registration and verification, Access to day-to -day activities across Ministries, Department s and Agencies, MDAs.
“The Citizens Gate platform will enable citizens to navigate all existing MDAs website and build a road map for a greater citizen’s engagement as a ONE STOP-SHOP for everything about Lagos State, addressing several issues, enquires, complaints, suggestions, commendations and giving the citizens and visitors Real Time direct access to Lagos State government and its activities through both smart phone and non-smart phone users on a 24/7 toll free non-emergency number to put a call across to the Citizens Gate Customer Service Centre for enquiries or complaints at the command and control centre.
“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.’’
Adebowale further explained that this platform has three segments namely; Citizens Gate Main; Citizens Gate Young and Citizens Gate Tertiary, saying they are focusing on the Citizens Gate Main.