•Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State
The Lagos State government, through the Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, has launched the Lagos State Indigeneship Automated Certificate.
The unveiling, which was organised by the Ministry, was done at the Alausa Secretariat, today, with the theme: “Lagos State Indigeneship Certificate Automation: A Step Towards Modernisation.”
The Commissioner for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Olugbenga Oyerinde, who was represented by Dr. Funmilayo Sokunbi, at the event, said the automated indigeneship certificate will make it easier for indigenous Lagos people to access services in the state, reports Daily Independent.
Sokunbi added that it will bring lasting benefits for generations of Lagos residents to come, as well as attract investors to the state.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Sesan Ogundeko, represented by Olawale Abdullah, said that issuing indigeneship certificates is one of the responsibilities of the ministry and one of the key elements of planning for development.
He said that the new automated indigeneship certificate will also help to identify indigenous students of the state in various higher institutions across the country.
“Even in secondary schools, there’s a need to have an indigeneship certificate. We decided to streamline and automate it to make it easier for any candidate to register and obtain the certificate. The process starts today and it will continue,“ he added.
Also, Olawale Ade-Sulaiman, Chairman House Committee on Special Duties, said that most indigenes of Lagos do not know their ancestral homes.
He added that the automated certificate will help the state government to identify those who are real Lagos people.
According to Qista Technologies, the partners behind the technology, the initiative is a digital platform to verify authentic indigenes of the state, adding that the certificate comes with bar code verifications and other security features.
“Most centralised education systems are not automated. Fake certificates and documents are rampant. There will be a bar code at the back of each certificate, which makes it unique. The system can be operated on mobile phones. It will enhance transparency and easy identification.”
