Information and communication technologies (ICT) are a driver of modernisation for governments. They are an essential step towards a Niger that is more focused on people’s needs and increasingly effective. The “Niger 2.0” and “Smart Africa” programmes clearly demonstrate the new direction adopted by the Nigerien government.
The National Office for Higher Education Examinations and Entrance Tests (ONECS) has therefore undertaken an initiative to simplify students’ lives by modernising its business procedures through the “Smart-Admin” project.
ONECS faces difficulties organising examinations and entrance tests, including communication challenges. Its audiovisual and written announcements do not adequately reach prospective candidates. Students struggle to access information or receive it too late because they have to visit regional secondary education directorates. They also face long queues to submit applications. Those living elsewhere in the country sometimes send documents to relatives through transport companies, risking their loss. Candidates from distant areas also struggle with the wait for results. Meanwhile, steadily increasing candidate numbers threaten to overwhelm staff workloads.
ONECS introduced Smart-ADMIN to address these problems. The system includes software for securing and managing marks, making them easier to process and automatically generating lists of successful candidates and transcripts. Examination notices are now sent to candidates’ phones. Results are sent to each candidate by SMS and email and published online for wider access. The solution is available at www.smart-admin.org.
The system lets ONECS send registered candidates SMS messages with relevant information. Examination and entrance test announcements are also published online alongside audiovisual notices.
Candidates can download papers from previous sessions to practise. From the next academic year, prospective candidates will also be able to submit applications online and pay application fees through Mobile Money.
These modern tools improve the office’s public services, supporting better performance and transparency through easier access to administrative information.
ONECS consequently won the 2017 Nigerien Public Service Innovation Award. This annual award, presented by the High Commission for State Modernisation (HCME) with support from the French Development Agency (AFD), recognises creative achievements that improve the quality of public service delivery.
Photo: Award presentation to the winner of the HIKIMA public service innovation competition.
To achieve these objectives, ONECS is supported by the Nigerien startup i-FUTUR, which specialises in the digital transformation of business procedures.
