The Ogun State Commissioner, Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ganiyu Hamzat, has underscored the need for innovations that can rein-invent the Local Governments as engines of growth, stressing that digital transformation is no longer optional, but essential for transparency, efficiency and sustainable development.

Hamzat stated this at a day retreat organised by GFA Technologies in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs for local government leaders in the State themed: ‘Driving Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through AI and Digital Innovation’, at Ogun Tech Hub in Abeokuta.

He described the retreat as timely, given the rapid pace of global technological transformation, noting that local government administration must embrace digital tools to remain effective and efficient in their service delivery.

The Commissioner reiterated that local governments remain the foundation of governance at the grassroots, adding that their effectiveness would directly determine the quality of life of the citizens.

“Digital transformation is no longer optional but essential to make service delivery faster and more efficient, increase internally generated revenue, improve transparency and accountability, as well as strengthen public trust,” he said.

Hamzat further noted that governance had moved beyond basic digitisation to an era powered by Artificial Intelligence, which offered opportunities to shift from reactive to proactive governance, urging stakeholders to act with urgency in building local government systems that were efficient, transparent and responsive to the needs of the people.

The Commissioner emphasised that government alone could not drive the process, hence the need for collaboration with private sector partners such as GFA Technologies, charging council chairmen, Heads of Local Government Administration and treasury officials to embrace innovation, support digital adoption and ensure accountability in implementation.

Speaking, The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Dr. Rotimiolu Akinlesi, encouraged all stakeholders to embrace the innovation as the era of digitisation has come to stay in Nigeria, while noting that the innovation would help block leakages and bring about the progress of local governments and the State at large.

In his welcome address, the Group Chief Executive Officer of GFA Technologies, Adebola Omololu, appreciated stakeholders, noted that the retreat focused on the future of grassroots governance. He acknowledged the critical roles of local governments in service delivery, revenue generation and citizen engagement, while identifying challenges such as structural inefficiencies, revenue leakages, poor visibility as well as limited data for decision-making.

Omololu explained that GFA Technologies’ proposal to digitalise local government operations would address these challenges by improving efficiency, boosting revenue and enhancing transparency without imposing upfront financial burdens on councils.

He added that the partnership would enable local government chairmen to monitor daily revenue inflows, identify gaps, track departmental performance and deliver better services to citizens.

Also speaking, the Director-General of Ogun State Public-Private Partnership Office, Barr. Dapo Oduwole, encouraged local government leaders to adopt PPPs as a strategic tool for infrastructure development, revenue improvement and digital transformation.

He highlighted the importance of Public-Private Partnerships in unlocking grassroots development, noting that such frameworks would provide access to private sector expertise, technology and funding without immediate financial strain on government resources.

Responding, Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Ogun State chapter and Chairman of Odeda Local Government, Hon. Folasade Adeyemo, described digitisation as critical to grassroots governance.

She urged Council leaders to take ownership of the digital transition and leverage technology to improve the living standards of citizens.