The Registry

National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA), Nigeria > The Registry
PREAMBLE
The National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA – Nigeria) is a designated Research Institute under the Federal Ministry of Education (FME), Abuja. At the inception of NIEPA in 1992, the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) in collaboration with UNESCO/IIEP, Paris gave NIEPA the responsibility of pursuing the specialized mandates of capacity building and manpower development of educational planners, managers and administrators in Nigeria and the West African sub-region as a sub-regional staff college. However, this mandate equally placed NIEPA in the stead of an inter-university centre.
In addition, the National Policy on Education (2013), Section 9: Planning and Administration of Education, No. 133, Page 74 stipulates thus:
‘Leadership capacity building for education sector planners and managers is the strengthening of the leaders’ skills in effective resources mobilization and management (human, material, financial and time) as well as adequate work practices. There shall, therefore, be a mandatory continuous training before and during the period of service for all planners and managers in the education system. National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA) shall be charged with the responsibility of coordinating the capacity building activities of the planners and managers.’  
In view of the National Policy on Education, NIEPA is equally required to handle leadership capacity building and skills acquisition for education sector planners and managers (a high-level manpower training and capacity building in sectoral planning and management). Hence, NIEPA is an academic and public service institution engaging in advanced management training for senior executives in the educational sector, particularly institutional school managers like Principal Officers and Heads of Departments and planners in Tertiary and non-tertiary education sectors. It is obvious from the foregoing that the mandate of NIEPA is vast and largely specialized beyond what has been achieved over the years. No doubt, NIEPA counterparts in other regions like India and Australia have been transformed to Universities.
The Registry of the Institute is one of the three principal arms of the Institute reporting to the Governing Council and Management Board in addition to teaching faculties (Academic Departments) and other service units and departments. The Registry Department is headed by the Registrar who is the Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary to the Governing Council of the Institute. As the Chief Administrative Officer, the Registrar reports to the Director General/Chief Executive in the day to day administration of the Institute except in financial matters. As the Secretary to Council and other statutory committees, the Registrar equally reports to the Chairman of Council and the Management Board.
In the 31 years of existence of NIEPA (1992-2023), the Registry had been headed successively by three substantive Registrars namely:
  • Late Dr. Anthony Chukwu – 1st substantive Registrar
  • Mrs. E.O. Ojeme-Osho – 2nd substantive Registrar
  • E.T. Babatola (a PhD Research Scholar) – 3rd substantive Registrar
The Registry remains the administrative arm and secretariat of the Institute policing and aiding other Departments and Units to promote and guarantee efficiency and optimal performance. In line with its collective mandate as the custodian of rules and regulations, the Registry as a Department remains a major player actualizing the vision of the Institute as a world-class Institution of academic excellence. The Department is committed to empowering all staff with appropriate skills and modern techniques for the provision of effective operations and efficient support services. Over the years, the expansion and intricacies of the administration have seen the Registry growing from a small Department into a more dynamic and productive organ in the pursuit of the NIEPA mandate.
Undoubtedly, transformation recorded in the Registry has helped to enhance its efficient operations and effective service delivery in the administration of the Institute while creating opportunities for growth among its teeming staff population. The administration of erstwhile Substantive Registrars and Ag. Registrars showed greater commitment to the restructuring of administrative work and decentralization of the Registry Department by expanding its framework from four (4) Service Units to eight (8) Service Units in line with the Report of the Office of the Head of Service issued in October, 2017. The Registry now boast of the following Offices and Service Units namely:
  • Office of the Registrar
  • Council Affairs Unit
  • Management and Records Unit
  • Establishment Office
  • Industrial-Labour Relations and Pension Unit
  • General Administration Unit
  • Staff Development and Training Unit
  • Faculty Office (Training & Research Department)
In order to make Registry productive and competitive in line with global best practices and be repositioned to meet with the realities and challenges of modern times, the basic functions of the Registry are as follows:
  • Managing the human resources and personnel of the Institute
  • Assisting the Director General/Chief Executive to formulate and implement manpower policies in line with Federal Government extant laws
  • Coordinating all the Institute’s administrative programmes
  • Keeping Government documents and ensuring that Federal Government rules and regulations are obeyed
  • Guiding the Institute on statutory matters
  • Acting as Secretariat of the Institute with the Registrar being the Secretary of all the statutory Committees
  • Disseminating information on manpower needs and human capital development of the Institute’s staff
  • Managing Labour related matters to ensure industrial harmony
  • Gaining creative cooperation and development to achieve smooth working relationships
  • Creating and maintaining a high level of morale of staff in all departments and units
  • Developing activities geared towards efficient and improved skills of staff
  • Overseeing the recruitment process of both Teaching and Non-Teaching staff
  • General staff welfare
  • Staff orientation, training and development
  • Evaluating performance of staff and ascertaining jobs are done in line with specifications
  • Handling of pensioners related matters and initiating retirement process of retiring staff and
  • Handling matters relating to NYSC and National Industrial Training Programmes.
In terms of ensuring quality assurance, the Registry has been distinguished as the sole keeper of the Institute’s values and traditions as the custodian of rules and regulations and the enforcer of public policy and laws. As an integral arm of the Institute, the Registry is therefore committed to making NIEPA a world-class Institution while working tirelessly to uphold its Vision and Mission conceived by the founding fathers. No doubt, NIEPA has recorded landmark successes due to the roles of the Registry as a well-structured and functional Department with relevant Units serving as components of the NIEPA administration in areas of handling its key responsibilities.
Equally, the Registry Units are supervised by seasoned Administrators who reports to the Registrar in coordinating functions of their Department. More importantly, the Registrar also oversees all Administrative and Executive Staff of the Institute apart from handling staff matters. All Registry Staff in the core Registry and other service Units remains pool staff and members of the Registry Department regardless of their duty post and schedule of duties in line with administrative principles and practice in HEIs and public sector organizations.