NEPAD Nigeria CEO, Princess Gloria Akobundu, has decried the absence of proper documentation of important information in most Nigeria ‘s establishments, identifying same as one of the banes for our national development.
Briefing staff of NEPAD Nigeria today during a Management meeting, which took place at NEPAD Nigeria office, Akobundu emphasised the need for attitudinal change in information storage and retrieval processes if adequate planning and policy directions are to achieve desired results in any serious Organisation.
She challenged members of staff, especially, those in the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics to be alive to their responsibilities, while stressing the need for better understanding and deployment of ICT in the management of information and other material resources, which are, usually, at the disposal of information resource keepers.
In her words: “Running of offices becomes difficult and expensive if we fail to adequately keep documents and information at the disposal of those who need them to work and to provide certain solutions. Imagine having to go everywhere to search for documents that ordinarily should be at one’s reach. I think we must learn to have some kind of strong room in our libraries where we will keep some of these documents. For instance,those we work with, like the Development Partners, work in line with planned agenda. They know what they want and how they want it. If you fail to key into their agenda, you get left behind “.
Earlier, while reviewing some of the successes and challenges that have been witnessed in the last one year, the NEPAD Nigeria boss gave thumbs up to the Agency for its achievements, especially, amid the paucity of funds that has characterised the ending year. She lauded the commitment of staff to the duty at hand, while also informing them that their efforts had not gone unnoticed at some official quarters, including the Presidency from where commendations have lately come.
While challenging staff to do more in the coming year, Princess Akobundu also noted the necessity for some internal reforms at the Agency, which she said, would be geared towards achieving greater productivity in the years ahead. As part of the reforms, the CEO said there would be constant internal trainings at no cost to the Agency and that strong fiscal measures would be put in place to check every form of waste and to maximise results, adding that, as in the out-going year, every kobo that comes into the coffers of the Agency will be made to achieve tangible and measurable results, in line with the fiscal policy of the Buhari Administration.
Some critical issues, like the hosting of the rescheduled APRM programme in 2018 and the dissolution of the erstwhile Economic Team, including the setting-up of a more streamlined one with no more than six(6) members, who would appraise programmes and projects in the Agency before their execution or otherwise, were also highlighted.
According to the CEO, the Agency would, in the next year, work closely with the private sector to pursue parts of the NEPAD Mandates. She also used the occasion to praise the vision of the Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa/NEPAD under its new leadership for the robust engagements and ideas the Committee has promised to bring to bear on the activities and programmes of the Agency.
Nkem Anyata-Lafia
SA(Media and Publicity) to CEO
NEPAD Nigeria
November 29, 2017
