…as Ekpenyong reveals why VIN is compulsory in online portal enrollment
By Shadrach Okon
The government of Akwa Ibom State under the leadership of Governor Umo Bassey Eno has launched a procurement portal to provide indigenous contractors in the state equitable access to goverment contracts, boost job creation and foster economic growth in the state.
The Procurement Portable was unveiled yesterday at Government House during a Press briefing by the Commissioner of Science and Digital Economy Hon. Frank Ekpenyong.
Hon. Ekpenyong while addressing journalists during the joint press briefing said government is digitizing contract process in Akwa Ibom to provide a transparent in the bidding process for government contracts.
Taking journalists through a PowerPoint presentation, the Commissioner explained that the new portal, created on the directive of Governor Umo Eno, will eliminate favouritism and backdoor dealings while allowing qualified contractors to apply for projects seamlessly.
“We are here today because we have a governor who believes in transparency. His directive was clear – every contract and procurement bidding must be open to all qualified persons. This portal ensures that only competent contractors with proven capacity are selected for government jobs,” he stated.
The Science and Digital Economy Commissioner went further to reveal that the platform provides contractors and vendors access to numerous projects, including the construction of over 400 houses this year, covering Commissioners’ quarters, Legislative and Judiciary quarters, Medical Village, AKBC headquarters, and Aviation quarters, among others.
Giving further enlightenment on the Akwa Ibom Electronic Identity System (AKeID), Engr. Ekpenyong explained that residents need to provide their National Identification Number (NIN), Voter Identification Number (VIN), and bank details to register. He described the system as a secure, one-stop portal designed to streamline personal verification processes.
He stated that Government is making VIN compulsory as one of the requirements for enrollment in any government online program to ensure that the beneficiaries are people who have certain ties with the state and contribute to economic growth in the state.
According to him, once an individual is verified, they will be assigned a unique 11-digit number, which will serve as a single access key for multiple government platforms, including the procurement portal, employment portal, MSMEs portal, and bursary portal.
“This will eliminate the stress of repeatedly entering personal details like bank information, NIN, and VIN when applying for government services,” he added.
The portal, he said, can be accessed at identity.akwaibomstate.gov.ng.
Earlier in his opening remark, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Aniekan Umanah, had stressed Governor Umo Eno’s commitment to development, pointing to recent events ranging from the town hall meetings and the ARISE Entrepreneurial Support Scheme to the inauguration of a Model Primary School and the Maritime Hub in Oron.
He noted that it was during the last Delivery Advisory Meeting that Governor Eno directed the Ministry of Science and Digital Economy to create the procurement portal to ensure that contractors and vendors with capacity can bid for jobs without undue interference.
