OPIS– Government Investment Platform
Government Investment
OPIS – Government Investment Platform
A multi-portal government platform enabling investors and concierge agents to explore, fund, bid, and manage state development projects across five strategic economic sectors
Work
User Research, User Personas, Userflows, Afinnity Diagram, Information Architecture, Wireframing, Usability Testing
01
GOVT PLATFORM
Foundation
Project Overview & Context
🏛️ About OPIS
OPIS (Open Platform for Investment & State Development) is an official government digital platform designed to attract domestic, diaspora, and international investment into five strategic sectors of a Nigerian state. It provides a transparent environment where investors explore live project opportunities, review financial projections, submit competitive bids, upload legal documents, and track proposal statuses — across a secure, role-authenticated multi-portal ecosystem. Government-appointed concierge agents manage investor relationships and guide clients through the full investment lifecycle.
⚡ Core Design Challenges
🏛️
Government Trust Deficit
Investors — especially foreign and diaspora — are sceptical of government platforms, expecting bureaucracy and opacity. OPIS must project institutional credibility from the very first screen.
👥
Four Radically Different User Types
Guests, Investors, Concierge agents, and Admins have incompatible mental models, tasks, and permissions — all within one connected system needing four distinct but coherent UX streams.
📄
Document-Heavy Multi-Week Workflows
Bidding requires extensive legal document collection, multi-person collaboration, and multi-stage government approval chains — notoriously painful in digital government systems.
🌍
Dual Domestic + International Audience
Platform must serve local Nigerian investors and international/diaspora investors simultaneously — each needing different trust signals, currency contexts, and remote-first access.
🌐
Guest View Website
Public-facing site showcasing sectors, live opportunities, economic data, and investment incentives. No login required. Designed to convert visitors into registered investors.
Public · Anonymous
💼
Investors Portal
Authenticated dashboard to explore projects, express interest, bid, upload documents, submit proposals, track statuses, and manage an investment portfolio.
Domestic · Foreign · Diaspora
🎩
Concierge Portal
Relationship management for government-appointed agents to manage assigned investor accounts, track pipeline progress, review documents, and guide investors at every stage.
Government Agents
🔐
Admin Portal
Back-office management — manage users, review and approve bids, publish investment opportunities, generate pipeline reports, and configure platform content and roles.
Govt Staff · Sector Leads
💻
ICT
₦180B
Target
🌴
Tourism
₦95B
Target
🏭
Manufacturing
₦240B
Target
💎
Solid Minerals
₦310B
Target
⚡
Energy
₦420B
Target
62
Total research participants across all phases and portals
14
Weeks of end-to-end research across 5 phases
26
Key insights from qualitative and quantitative data
4
Distinct portal UX streams designed and tested
02
14 WKS · 7 METHODS
Methodology
Research Plan & Methods
Phase 01
Discovery
Wk 1–2
Stakeholder interviews (8)
Desk research & benchmarking
Competitor audit (6 platforms)
Regulatory review
→ Research brief
→ Hypothesis list
→ Hypothesis list
Phase 02
Qualitative Depth
Wk 3–7
IDIs — Investors (n=14)
IDIs — Concierge/Admin (n=6)
Contextual enquiry (field)
Admin workflow shadowing
→ Transcripts & journey maps
→ Affinity diagram
→ Affinity diagram
Phase 03
Quantitative
Wk 7–10
Online survey (n=28)
Card sorting, 4 portals (n=20)
Tree testing — IA validation
Analytics audit
→ Survey report
→ Validated nav labels
→ Validated nav labels
Phase 04
Prototype & Test
Wk 10–13
Mid-fi wireframes (4 portals)
Moderated UT (n=12)
Unmoderated UT (n=8)
Accessibility review
→ Usability report
→ Issue severity matrix
→ Issue severity matrix
Phase 05
Synthesis
Wk 13–14
Affinity mapping
Insight clustering (26 insights)
Design principles workshop
Stakeholder readout
→ Case study
→ Design backlog
→ Design backlog
🎤
In-Depth Interviews
60–75 min structured conversations with investors, concierge agents, and administrators — exploring investment decisions, platform trust signals, and workflow pain points in depth.
n=20 · 14 investors, 6 concierge/admin
Remote (Zoom) + in-person Abuja/Lagos
Semi-structured guide, 7 topic areas
Recorded, transcribed, coded Atlas.ti
📋
Online Survey
Structured survey validating qualitative findings at scale — distributed to investor networks, business associations, and diaspora communities across 3 countries.
n=28 screened (94 total responses)
Likert scales on trust, clarity, confidence
Sector preference rankings + NPS
Typeform + email campaigns
🗂️
Card Sorting & Tree Testing
Open and closed card sorts per portal, followed by tree tests on proposed IA structures to validate navigation depth and label preferences across all user types.
n=20 · 5 participants per portal context
36 cards across 4 portal variations
Optimal Workshop (remote, unmoderated)
Validated nav labels & hierarchy
🔍
Contextual Enquiry
Field observation of investor meetings in Abuja and Lagos, and government concierge staff at work — capturing real-world interruptions and workaround behaviours in situ.
n=8 field sessions across 3 locations
Observed: bid prep, document gathering
Shadow sessions: 3 concierge officers
Revealed offline-to-online workflow gaps
💻
Moderated Usability Testing
Task-based sessions on mid-fi desktop wireframes — watching users attempt key flows across all four portals with think-aloud protocol and eye-tracking simultaneously.
n=12 moderated (3 per portal stream)
Desktop-first; tablet tested secondary
Think-aloud + eye-tracking (Lookback.io)
SUS score + task completion per portal
🏛️
Stakeholder Workshops
Co-design sessions with government commissioners, sector leads, and IT staff to align on objectives, regulatory constraints, content governance, and approval workflow requirements.
n=8 government stakeholders
2× half-day workshops (discovery + validation)
Miro board collaborative sessions
Defined role permissions & approvals
Activity
W1
W2
W3
W4
W5
W6
W7
W8
W9
W10
W12
W14
Desk Research
Stakeholder Workshops
In-Depth Interviews
Contextual Enquiry
Online Survey
Card Sort / Tree Test
Wireframing
Usability Testing
Synthesis & Report
03
5 PERSONAS
User Understanding
User Personas
💼 Investor Personas
👨🏿
Chukwuemeka Obi
The Domestic Investor
"I want to invest in my state — but government processes always slow me down."
44
Age
Lagos
Location
CEO
Role
About
Emeka runs a mid-size construction firm and wants to diversify into energy and manufacturing. Well-networked but frustrated by informal government channels. Open to digital tools if they cut bureaucracy and save time.
Goals
Find eligible projects quickly — no 40-page policy docs
Submit bids digitally — zero office visits required
Track application status in real time
Pain Points
Previous portals required printing and physically submitting forms
Unclear eligibility criteria wasted weeks of bid prep
No feedback post-submission — applications disappeared
"Show me the project, tell me what I need to qualify, let me submit online. That's all I'm asking."
EnergyManufacturing
👩🏻
Priya Mehta
Foreign Institutional Investor
"Nigeria has exciting fundamentals — but I need verified data and governance before I commit."
38
Age
London
Location
Fund MD
Role
About
Priya manages a £200M emerging markets fund with African infrastructure allocation. Conducts rigorous due diligence — needs verified financials, transparent governance, and structured data before any decision.
Goals
Access verified sector data, ROI projections, legal frameworks
Download official investment prospectus for due diligence
Know she's communicating with accountable government officials
Pain Points
Government sites often show outdated or unverifiable data
Unclear which authority is responsible for each sector
Currency repatriation policy buried or entirely absent
"I need this platform to feel like Bloomberg — not a ministerial press release page."
ICTSolid Minerals
👨🏾
Adeola Bankole
The Diaspora Investor
"I've built wealth abroad — now I want to build something lasting at home."
41
Age
Houston
Location
Engineer
Role
About
Adeola is a Nigerian-American petroleum engineer wanting to invest in energy back home. Has capital but limited time and local networks. Needs a dedicated concierge to represent him in Abuja while he manages things remotely from Houston.
Goals
Invest fully remotely — without flying to Nigeria for verification
Named concierge to guide and relay progress on his behalf
USD-compatible documentation and payment records
Pain Points
Time zone barriers make in-person verification impossible
Uncertain which documents are valid when submitted from abroad
Previously burned by informal agents claiming government authority
"If I can see a real government official assigned to my account, I'll feel safe enough to proceed."
EnergyConcierge-Led
🎩 Concierge & 🔐 Admin Personas
👩🏽
Amaka Eze
The Concierge Agent
"I'm the bridge between investors and government — I make complex processes feel simple."
33
Age
Abuja
Location
Govt Officer
Role
About
Amaka is a trained investment promotion officer managing 15 assigned investors simultaneously. Handles onboarding, document checks, meetings, and updates — currently via WhatsApp, email, spreadsheets, and physical files. OPIS centralises this into one workflow.
Goals
See all investors and statuses in a single pipeline dashboard
Review, comment on, and flag investor documents in-platform
Send standardised updates without repetitive manual drafting
Pain Points
Tracks investor progress on manual Excel sheets — no audit trail
No central place to view all documents from one investor
Investors bypass process and contact her directly on WhatsApp
"I need to know where each investor is in the process without sending 20 WhatsApp messages."
PipelineDoc ReviewMulti-Investor
👨🏿
Ibrahim Danladi
The Platform Administrator
"This platform represents the state's credibility — I need full visibility and control."
50
Age
Abuja
Location
Dir. ICT
Role
About
Ibrahim is Director of ICT at the State Investment Agency. Has final authority over the platform — managing user access, reviewing all bid approvals before commissioners, generating reports for the governor's office. Currently everything runs via email threads.
Goals
Publish and manage investment opportunities by sector and status
Manage user access, roles, and permissions across all portals
Generate investment pipeline reports for the governor's office
Pain Points
No system — all approvals happen via unstructured email threads
Cannot easily revoke access when a concierge leaves the agency
Reporting requires manual aggregation from multiple sources
"I need to see everything that happens on this platform — every action, document, and decision."
Audit TrailsRole MgmtReporting
04
26 INSIGHTS
Findings
Key Research Insights
INSIGHT 01 · TRUST
Government Branding Must Signal Authenticity in 5 Seconds
Foreign investors first verify legitimacy — checking gov.ng domain, SSL certificates, official logos, and ministry seals. 11/14 investor IDIs mentioned looking for the state coat of arms as their first trust check.
IDI — FOREIGN INVESTOR
"The first thing I do is check if it's a real government URL. If it looks like a startup website, I'm gone immediately."
CRITICAL11/14 investor IDIs
INSIGHT 02 · TRANSPARENCY
Project Pages Lack Decision-Grade Financial Data
79% of survey investors needed projected ROI, risk ratings, environmental approvals, and land tenure on project pages. Without this, investors cannot progress from browsing to serious interest — creating a conversion dead-end.
SURVEY FINDING
"No financial projection on the project page means it hasn't been assessed. I just move on."
HIGHSurvey: 79%
INSIGHT 03 · BIDDING
Bid Submission Is a Multi-Week Team Effort
Investor teams spend 2–6 weeks preparing a bid — gathering legal certificates, board resolutions, financials, and proposals. Platform must support draft-saving, multi-user collaboration, and document checklist management.
CONTEXTUAL ENQUIRY
"We have 7 people working on our bid. No way one person uploads everything in one sitting. We need to save progress."
CRITICAL6/8 field sessions
INSIGHT 04 · CONCIERGE
Agents Are Managing Investor Chaos Without Proper Tools
All 6 concierge IDI participants described managing investor pipelines through WhatsApp groups, Excel sheets, and email attachments — no audit trail, no status visibility, no document versioning. The portal must fully replace this patchwork.
IDI — CONCIERGE AGENT
"I have a WhatsApp group for each investor, a separate sheet, and a folder of emails. I need one screen that shows me everything."
HIGH6/6 concierge IDIs
INSIGHT 05 · STATUS
Status Anxiety Drives Dozens of Repeat Phone Calls
Investors described calling government offices 5–20 times after submitting bids because there was zero visible confirmation of receipt or review progress. Timestamped status indicators with email/SMS notifications would eliminate 80% of these calls.
IDI — DOMESTIC INVESTOR
"I submitted my documents three months ago. I've called six times. Nobody knows where it is."
CRITICAL12/14 investor IDIs
INSIGHT 06 · IA
"Sectors" Not "Departments" Is the User's Mental Model
Card sorting revealed investors organise information by economic sector (ICT, Energy), not government department. 17/20 grouped project listings under sector labels. Navigating by ministry name confused 82% of participants in tree testing.
CARD SORT FINDING
"I look for Energy or Manufacturing — I have no idea which ministry handles what. Organise it how I think."
HIGH17/20 card sort
INSIGHT 07 · DOCUMENTS
Document Requirements Must Be Visible Before Bidding Starts
The biggest frustration: discovering a required document — a specific CAC certificate, notarised board resolution — after uploading 8 others. A pre-bid document checklist with downloadable templates would save investors weeks of costly rework.
IDI — CORPORATE INVESTOR
"We found out we needed a specific CAC form at step 6 of 8. Three weeks of work lost. We had to start over."
CRITICAL9/14 investor IDIs
INSIGHT 08 · DIASPORA
Diaspora Investors Need a Fully Remote-First Pathway
Diaspora investors cannot attend in-person verification. They need remote authentication (video KYC, notarised digital docs), concierge delegation, and timezone-aware communication. The in-person assumption silently excludes this entire class of high-value investors.
IDI — DIASPORA INVESTOR
"If the process assumes I'm in Nigeria, I'm out before I even start. I can't fly for a 20-minute document check."
HIGH8/10 diaspora survey
INSIGHT 09 · ADMIN
Approval Chains Need Digital Formalisation & SLA Tracking
Admin shadowing revealed bid approvals require sign-off from 3–5 officers in sequence, currently via email forward chains with no enforced order or deadline. A multi-stage workflow with escalation rules and 5-day SLA tracking is non-negotiable.
ADMIN WORKSHOP
"Sometimes a bid sits in someone's inbox for two weeks because they're travelling. There's no way to escalate or reassign it."
HIGHAll admin stakeholders
05
4 THEME CLUSTERS
Synthesis
Affinity Diagram
Research Data → Clustered Themes Across 62 Participants & All 4 Portals
Trust & Legitimacy
26 notes
"Is this really a govt site?"
Coat of arms = instant credibility
gov.ng domain = safety signal
SSL certificate checked first
Named commissioner adds trust
Published audit = credibility proof
Information Quality
22 notes
ROI projections on project page
Outdated data worse than no data
Risk ratings before expressing interest
Sector overview before project detail
Downloadable prospectus mandatory
"Last updated" date builds trust
Process & Workflow
24 notes
Bid prep takes weeks — save drafts!
Document checklist must come first
Multi-step approvals need visibility
Multi-user bid collaboration needed
Templates reduce rework & errors
Version control for docs is critical
Status & Communication
18 notes
"Where is my application?" = top pain
Timestamp every status change
In-platform messaging > WhatsApp
Concierge as human status proxy
Email + SMS on any status change
Escalation alert when stalled >5 days
06
4 KEY FLOWS
Experience Design
User Flows
🌐 Flow 1 — Guest View → Investor Registration
GUEST → INVESTOR🌐
Guest Homepage
Browse sectors
→
🏗️
Sector Page
ICT / Energy etc.
→
📊
Project Listing
Browse opportunities
→
Auth Gate
Login required
→
📝
Register
Company + basic KYC
→
✅
Email Verify
Confirm identity
→
🎩
Concierge Assigned
Named agent allocated
→
💼
Investor Dashboard
Full portal access
Key UX principle: Project listings are fully viewable to guests — but "Express Interest" or "Download Prospectus" triggers a registration prompt. KYC is captured progressively. A named concierge is visible from day one — a critical trust signal for diaspora and foreign investors.
💼 Flow 2 — Investor Bid Submission
INVESTORS PORTAL🔍
Find Opportunity
Browse + filter sector
→
📋
Eligibility Check
Self-qualify upfront
→
📁
Doc Checklist
Full list shown upfront
→
⬆️
Upload Documents
Stage by stage
→
💾
Save Draft
Auto-saves every 5 min
→
📤
Submit Bid
Final review + confirm
→
📬
Confirmation
Ref no. + email receipt
→
📡
Track Status
Live progress updates
Key UX principle: Document checklist is shown BEFORE the upload form — investors acknowledge all required documents before starting. Draft saving is persistent and auto-triggered every 5 minutes. Multi-user collaboration is supported on a single bid.
🎩 Flow 3 — Concierge Investor Management
CONCIERGE PORTAL🏠
Concierge Dashboard
Kanban pipeline view
→
👤
Select Investor
From assigned pipeline
→
📂
Investor 360°
Docs, status, history
→
Action Needed?
Review flag
→
✏️
Review Documents
Comment / flag / approve
→
💬
Send Update
Message investor in-app
→
↗️
Escalate to Admin
Flag for approval
→
📋
Update Pipeline
Move investor stage
Key UX principle: The concierge dashboard is a Kanban-style pipeline — all investors visible as cards sorted by stage (New → Verifying → Active Bid → Under Review → Decision). All messaging is logged in-platform, creating a full audit trail that permanently replaces WhatsApp and email chains.
🔐 Flow 4 — Admin Bid Approval Workflow
ADMIN PORTAL📊
Admin Dashboard
Pending + KPIs
→
🗳️
Bid Queue
All submitted bids
→
🔍
Review Dossier
All documents + context
→
👥
Assign Reviewers
Route to sector officers
→
All Stages Signed?
Sequential sign-off
→
✅
Final Approval
Commissioner sign-off
→
📧
Notify Investor
Auto email + in-app
→
📈
Update Reports
Pipeline data refreshed
Key UX principle: Approval stages are enforced sequentially — Stage 2 cannot begin until Stage 1 is signed with timestamp. If any stage exceeds 5 business days, an escalation alert fires to the supervising officer. Every action creates an immutable, timestamped audit log entry.
07
4 PORTALS · VALIDATED
Structure
Information Architecture
🌐 Guest Website IA
🌐 OPIS Guest Website
🏠 Home
Hero + State Vision
Why Invest Here
Social Proof
Register CTA
🏗️ Sectors
ICT
Tourism
Manufacturing
Solid Minerals
Energy
📁 Projects
All Opportunities
Filter / Search
Project Detail
Download Prospectus
📄 Resources
Incentives & Policy
Legal Framework
FAQs
Contact / Register
💼 Investors Portal IA
💼 Investors Portal
📊 Dashboard
My Portfolio
Active Bid Status
My Concierge
Notifications
🔍 Explore
All Opportunities
Filter by Sector
Saved Projects
Project Detail
📤 My Bids
Draft Bids
Submitted
Under Review
Outcomes
📁 Documents
Upload Documents
My Library
Verification Status
🎩 Concierge Portal IA
🎩 Concierge Portal
📋 Pipeline
Kanban Board
All Investors
Stage Filters
Urgent Flags
👤 Profiles
Investor 360°
Document Review
Notes & History
💬 Messages
Inbox
Send Update
Templates
📈 Reports
Portfolio Stats
Completion Rate
Escalations Log
🔐 Admin Portal IA
🔐 Admin Portal
📊 Overview
KPI Dashboard
Sector Stats
Alerts
🗳️ Bid Queue
Pending Review
Approval Chain
Escalated Bids
🏗️ Opportunities
Publish New
Edit Listings
Archive
👥 Users
Manage Roles
Permissions
Audit Log
Card sort findings: "Sectors" beat "Departments" for navigation (17/20). "My Bids" preferred over "Applications" (88%). "Pipeline" resonated with concierge. "Bid Queue" universally preferred over "Pending Approvals" by admin users.
08
8 KEY SCREENS
Design
Wireframes — All 4 Portals
Desktop-first mid-fidelity wireframes across all four portal streams. Key screens selected to represent the most critical user journeys identified in research.
Invest Now
Register as Investor
💻 ICT
🌴 Tourism
🏭 Mfg.
💎 Minerals
⚡ Energy
Energy
Open
ICT
Guest Homepage
Screen 01 · Public View · Trust + Sector Entry
Investor Dashboard
Screen 02 · Investors Portal · Status Overview
1
2
3
4
✓ Uploaded
✓ Uploaded
Required
Optional
SAVE DRAFT
CONTINUE →
Bid Submission — Doc Upload
Screen 03 · Investors Portal · Checklist First
›
›
⚡ Energy
🟢 Open Bid
Express Interest
Download PDF
Project / Opportunity Detail
Screen 04 · Guest + Investors Portal
Concierge Pipeline — Kanban
Screen 05 · Concierge Portal · Investor Tracking
Admin Bid Queue
Screen 06 · Admin Portal · Approval Pipeline
09
7 KEY SCREENS
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