The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Esther Didi Walson-Jack has assured the National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA NIGERIA) Ondo, that definite and concrete steps will be taken by the Ministry to ensure that the Institute is repositioned to enable it to fulfill its mandate in the education sector. Mrs. Walson-Jack stated this when the Management staff of NIEPA led by its Acting Director General, Dr. David Adebiyi Shofoyeke visited her at the Federal Ministry of Education headquarters in Abuja, to brief her on the mandate and operations of the Institute.
Welcoming the team from NIEPA, the FME Director of Special Duties, Mr. Zubairu Abdullahi spoke extensively about the new culture change in the ministry which consists of six pillars. According to Mr. Zubairu, the newly introduced Performance Management System (PMS) would be used for the assessment and promotion of staff going forward as against the previous APER system. He further listed Talent Management, Innovation, digitalization, and IPPIS Human Resource Management Software as part of the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP) which will drive the full realization of the digitalization of the Service and institutionalization of the Federal Civil Service Strategic Implementation.
Reeling out NIEPA’s giant strides in recent times, NIEPA’s Acting Director General, Dr. David Shofoyeke amongst other issues briefed the Permanent Secretary on the Institute’s ongoing collaboration with United Children Education Fund (UNICEF). He held that the Institute had in the past developed Education Sector Plans for thirty-three (33) States in the country and is currently reviewing those plans for eight (8) states in the first phase. He further highlighted the massive gains the Institute has made in the area of capacity development of Principals and Headteachers across the country, after which he presented books and journals written and published by staff of the Institute.
An elated Mrs. Didi Walson-Jack retorted, “Why are we looking for when the solutions are here with us? Why are we saying there are so many problems but no solutions when this Institute has proffered the solutions and they are our own”. The Permanent Secretary commended the Acting Director General and his management team for their efforts and charged them to come up with programmes and proposals for training to further strengthen the capacity of planners and managers in the education sector.
Other top FME officials present at the briefing were the Director of Human Resources, Mr. Omotayo Adeyemi, Director, Education Planning, Research and Development Mrs. Anigbogu Obianuju.
Reported by Bodunde Tenabe
Media Officer, NIEPA Ondo
