For North-West, online communication has not begun

el-Rufai

Kaduna and Zamfara state governments have no functional web presence, despite the current digital communication advancement across the world; findings by our correspondent have shown.

But for many of other state governments in the North-West, it is a season of website reconstruction. At least, three state governments in the axis – Katsina, Sokoto and Kebbi – are currently reworking their portals.

For instance, on the katsina.gov.ng, the supposed portal of the Katsina State Government, on Sunday, the only message found on the blank space said the site was under construction. Findings, however, show that the notice has remained like this on the site for many weeks now.

With its site currently taken down, there are no alternate platforms such as social media where it relates with the people. On Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and several other platforms where a few state governments have been engaging their residents, there is also no single account traceable to the Katsina State Government.

Sokoto State Government’s sokotostate.gov.ng, as in the case of Kastina, is also undergoing reconstruction. The state government says the site, which is being handled by Aimtech Communications Limited, will be ready in about a week’s time.

Yari

The online profiles of the government of Kaduna, a supposed metropolitan state and Zamfara are, perhaps, the worst in the North-West geopolitical zone.

While Katsina and Sokoto have domain names, though they are being overhauled, search engines consulted on Sunday could not trace those of Kaduna and Zamfara state governments. 

On further search on the web pages, zamfarastate.net and kadunastate.gov.org pumped up with several other web-based results. However, both URL addresses were unavailable as of Sunday.

The status of the Kaduna State Government, especially, contradicts its Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s soaring social media brand.

With 649,000 Twitter followers, el-Rufai is currently the most followed Nigerian politician on the site. The governor surpasses President Muhammadu Buhari’s combined following on @NGRPresident and @MBuhri.

On Facebook as well, e-Rufai’s verified account is active and highly-rated in terms of visibility. On Facebook, he has over 500, 000 fans on the site. His just-unveiled official Twitter page – @GovKaduna – is also gaining relevance by the day; it has over 7,000 users to its credit already.

Yet, the governor’s social performances have yet to motivate his government. It has yet to sign up on the same platforms where the governor is currently a ‘star’.               

Bagudu

The Kebbi State Government is almost in the category of Kaduna and others. But for Kebbi State Government, it is credited with kebbistate.com. The site admin, however, says the content amount to samples of what is to be unveiled soon as Kebbi State’s site.     

“Kebbistate.com is dedicated to the development of Kebbi State. We will, work as a team, make Kebbi State greater. Please check back regularly for updates. We hope to help raise political awareness of what it means to be a Kebbian. After all, we are all in this together.

“Together, we can ensure better life for future generations of Kebbians. Equally, you can inform your computer-literate friends and associates to check the website regularly and email us their names and phone numbers, as we embark on a project to compile names, phone numbers and emails addresses of all our indigenes, who are passionately and actively working for Kebbi State's development,” says the site.

Tambunwal

Like Kebbi, the Jigawa State Government is also making what could be described as a tall social-media promise on its jigawa.state.gov.ng. Quoting telephone lines on the page, the site says the government is relating with citizens of the state through WhatsApp, 2go as well as Facebook.

It also welcomes suggestions on the affairs of the state and its leadership. Such suggestions, it says, could be channelled through its social media platforms and emails.

 Posting through kano.gov.ng, Kano State Government is ahead of counterparts in the region. Apart from the fact that it updates its site regularly, it has a functional social media platform where governance information is also relates.

On Facebook, the state government is followed 3,900 users. But more importantly, both website and Facebook relates well in terms of plugins and posting.