By Izunna Okafor, Awka
All is now set for the official launch of ‘Solution Lens’ — a groundbreaking civic tech platform developed by the Anambra State Government to promote transparency, accountability, and active citizen engagement in governance.
According to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Mr. Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata (CFA), in a circular made available to this reporter on Wednesday, the launch event will hold at the Solution Innovation District, Awka on Thursday, May 18, starting at 10:00 AM.
He added that the event will formally unveil the digital platform to the public, in what he described as another bold and strategic step toward actualizing Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s vision of building a livable, prosperous, and smart mega-city in Anambra.
Solution Lens (accessible via https://lens.anambrastate.gov.ng), it was gathered, is a user-centric, GPS-mapped portal that allows citizens to access real-time information on government projects across the state, track implementation progress, verify locations, report concerns, and engage directly with policymakers. The initiative/platform and event is championed by the Anambra State Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in collaboration with the State Ministry of Information and the Anambra State ICT Agency.
This reporter, Izunna Okafor, recalls that the platform had earlier been previewed sometime in April during the launch of the state’s Second Open Government Partnership (OGP) State Action Plan (SAP 2.0) — an event that marked a significant leap in participatory governance and reform-driven administration, placing Anambra among the few Nigerian states blazing the trail in digital civic engagement and transparency.
During that preview, which was witnessed by this reporter, stakeholders and participants were given a walkthrough of the platform’s functions, its user interface, and its broader implications for development monitoring and open governance. The platform’s capability to serve as a watchdog and feedback tool — available to all citizens from their mobile or desktop devices — was also widely praised.
Providing deeper insight into the initiative then, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Anambra State ICT Agency, Mr. Agbata, emphasized that the Solution Lens was a product of months of rigorous research, strategic consultations, and multi-agency collaboration — all aimed at leveraging technology for good governance.
While noting that Anambra is among the first states to consolidate all its digital resources into a single unified platform — anambrastate.gov.ng, he added that the Solution Lens, with its dedicated URL lens.anambrastate.gov.ng, serves as an extension of this central domain. According to him, the more Ndi Anambra engage, the more powerful and impactful the platform becomes, as the true strength lies in the interaction it fosters.
Mr. Agbata also reiterated the ICT Agency’s commitment to driving the state’s digital transformation agenda, noting that the implementation of OGP 2.0 is being powered by technological innovations that make governance more inclusive and effective.
With the official unveiling scheduled for tomorrow, Ndị Anambra are once again expected to converge at the Solution Innovation District to witness the birth of what has been described by many as a game-changer in participatory democracy.
