By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
For one week, August 7 to 13, 2023, officials of the National Productivity Centre (NPC) were at the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria (ACAN), with in-house productivity consultants. The purpose of the gathering was to provide intensive training to directors and senior officers of the NPC on various cutting-edge productivity tools and techniques for skills enhancement and development.
The ultimate goal was to position Nano, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises with tools and techniques to enhance their competitiveness in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda.
According to the director – general of the organisation, Dr. Nasir Raji- Mustapha, “it is not enough for government to provide capital grants and resources for citizens, but for these resources to be effectively utilized. Thus, it is imperative for beneficiaries to be trained to enable maximum utilization of these resources. This explains why we have decided to come to this serene environment for this training.”
He added that the Centre is an agency of the Federal Government established in April, 1987 and has transversed various stages of growth and development.
He said: “The history, struggles, challenges and successes has inspired us to stay on course and deliver on our mandate for the nation and the people.”
Raji-Mustapha said the training was coming at a time the Centre should rise to meet the volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) state of the Nigerian economy. He also stated that the training was packaged to expose participants to the implementation strategies of the performance management systems, which is being introduced into the nation’s public service.
The CEO stated that he was excited about how the productivity and quality improvement programme (P&QIP) will be utilized by inhouse productivity consultants to offer business solutions to enterprises through the implementation of productivity techniques like 5S Good Housekeeping, Kaizen, Green Productivity, and various others, to drive improvement activities.
He further said that the opportunity and time has come to make significant changes and enable the nation to fully experience the benefits of productivity improvement initiatives.
Declaring the training open, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Kachallom Daju, expressed her delight at the administration style of NPC under Dr. Raji –Mustapha. She said as the ministry’s strategic outfit on productivity, “we shall continue to support and encourage your viable programs aimed at making lives better for Nigerians”.
The agency’s director of planning and policy analysis, Mrs Rosemary Esekhagbe welcomed the permanent secretary, the director- general and participants to the gathering, saying the momentous occasion had brought together the upper echelon of the entire NPC as an Organization.
Her word: “We are united in our shared commitment to growth, development and excellence. I am honoured to have the esteemed presence of the permanent secretary, ministry of labour and employment in our midst.”
Noting that performance management and productivity are essential pillars in the success of any organization, she said: “It is through these practices that we optimise our capabilities, elevate our achievements and chart a path towards continuous improvement.”
She called on participants to open their minds with eagerness to learn. She said: “Let us seize this opportunity to share our experiences, exchange ideas and learn from one another best practices. The insight gained here will not only strengthen our organization, but will also empower us to make a lasting impact on our communities and beyond.”
In his remarks, the lead consultant for the programme on “Productivity Improvement Tools and Techniques”, Engr. Adejoh David, said the training was designed to properly align the Centre’s programmes with the vision of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, especially those for the Nano, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NMSMES).
He added that the training was designed to serve as a “train the trainers” programme where participants will not only obtain the knowledge and skill to evaluate wastes in organizations but also become armed with tools and techniques to improve quality, processes and productivity of enterprises across the economic sectors in Nigeria.
Dr. Olayiwola Oladapo, the lead consultant for the training on “Performance Management Systems” dissected the ABC of productivity, stating that the mind-sets of the private and public servants must change to meet the new global challenges that the country must confront in order to be more competitive.
“I have been going round the country, training staff of the ministry, private sector operators in all fields and one message is clear: we need to change our attitude to work for a more productive and meaningful society.” He noted that Nigerian workers are being underpaid compared to their counterparts in other parts of the world but the good news is that the present administration is trying to change things for the better through palliative measures and planned salary reviews.
Participants made contributions at the various interactive sessions, giving their personal, sweet and bitter experiences. They were, however, unanimous on the need for harmonious cooperation among workers in both public and private sectors while also urging the Government to provide working tools, secure environment and improved salaries.
Raji-Mustapha, at the end of the intensive training, assured staff that his administration would be proactive to the needs and welfare of all staff but will also appreciate their sincere productive contribution to justify the planned improvement on staff welfare.