E-GOVERNANCE AND DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY: ASSESSING THE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT CAPACITY OF THE PUBLIC SECTOR IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study examines the relationship among e-governance adoption, information management capacity, and democratic accountability in the public sector of Rivers State, Nigeria, with particular attention to persistent bureaucratic delays and forms of state injustice arising from limited access to public legal and administrative information. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 210 administrative officers across ten ministries in Port Harcourt, and analyzed using Pearson Product–Moment Correlation and regression-based mediation techniques. The findings reveal that e-governance adoption is significantly associated with transparency (r = 0.613, p < 0.01) and responsiveness (r = 0.541, p < 0.01). Further results indicate that Information Management Systems significantly mediate the relationship between e-governance and democratic accountability, accounting for 52% of the variance in accountability outcomes. The study demonstrates that technological infrastructure alone does not produce accountability gains unless supported by effective information management arrangements and an institutional information culture that promotes accessibility, integrity, and timely use of public data while limiting the accumulation of dark data. Accordingly, the study recommends the institutionalization of digital access to public records, the integration of information management standards into e-governance frameworks, and sustained enhancement of workforce digital literacy to strengthen transparency and responsiveness in the public sector of Rivers State.