The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita has called on the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture to be more aggressive in showcasing the enormous achievements of the present administration. She stated that report writing and strategic communication plan should be encouraged and implemented in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government.
The Head of Service made the call on the occasion of Peer Review visit to the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture in Abuja on Thursday, 5th April, 2018.
Mrs. Oyo-Ita, who was accompanied by eight other Permanent Secretaries, said the purpose of the visit was to understand the mandate of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, activities, performance, innovations, challenges, draw lessons and ensure compliance with the Economic Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP) and the Federal Civil Service Strategy Plan 2017-2020.
The Peer Review Mechanism Team applauded the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Deaconess Grace Isu Gekpe, for a job well done and urged the Ministry to do more in the area of publicizing government programmes and projects both locally and Internationally, noting that a lot has been done by the present Administration but media presence for coverage and visibility is inadequate.
Mrs. Oyo-Ita, appreciated the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture for working judiciously in managing the various agencies under its purview despite the meager budget.
In her presentation titled “Peer Review Mechanism for Permanent Secretaries” the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Deaconess Grace Isu Gekpe briefed the team on the activities of the Ministry. The activities include, Strategic communication of government policies and programmes, Building a positive image for the country and promoting national consciousness, Providing an effective regulatory environment for the media and allied industry, Conducting public enlightenment and civic education programmes, Developing among Nigerians, cultural values and awareness that will inculcate the spirit of patriotism, nationalism, self-discipline and self-reliance, Educating Nigerians about the evil of ethnicity, nepotism, corruption, cultism, examination malpractice, and encouraging desirable social attitudes, Promoting Nigeria’s rich and diverse cultural heritage, Stimulating domestic and international tourism and promoting Nigeria as a prime tourism destination.
Mrs. Gekpe revealed that, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture has strengthened capacity of 269 staff as well as made working tools available to improve service delivery in the Ministry. She added that the Ministry through a memorandum of understanding with the British Council has trained 46 Festival and Carnival managers, in Nigeria and the West African Sub-Region.
She reported that, there is harmonious working relationship between Management and Staff Unions in the Ministry noting that, in the area of Staff Welfare, the Ministry has helped to cushion the hardship faced by staff through provision of buses for to ease transportation.
She said the Ministry through its entertainment sector Nollywood has contributed immensely to the growth of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). She also stated that effort is being made to move Tourism from the Residual List to the Concurrent list of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Furthermore, plans are ongoing to digitalize Government Archives.
