CIPESS FUAM TRAINS 132 SENIOR CIVIL SERVANTS IN NASARAWA STATE

No fewer than 132 senior civil servants comprising Permanent Secretaries, Heads of Parastatals and other top government functionaries in Nasarawa State on 1st November 2024 received certificates of participation following a customized 5-Day Executive Workshop organized for the civil workforce in the state by the Center for Innovation in Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards (CIPESS), Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM), now Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University Makurdi (JOSTUM).
Three 5-day Executive Workshop on the themes “Best Practice in Environmental Sustainability, Procurement Management, Supervision and Audit and, Building Social Equity in Governance” were organized through the office of the Head of Service, Nasarawa State and held from 28th October, 2024 to 1st November 2024 at Tazu Luxury Hotel, Lafia.
The Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr Abdullahi A. Sule commended the Federal Government of Nigeria for initiating the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement, (SPESSE) project and CIPESS FUAM team, led by the Center Leader and Director, Professor Lami A. Nnamonu for finding senior civil servants in Nasarawa State worthy to benefit from the life changing programme. Engr Sule said, his administration believes in transparency and accountability and that civil servants in the state remained the corner stone of the entire development of Nasarawa State.
Governor Sule further expressed his administration’s commitment to leave Nasarawa State better than he met it, stating that, the programme was timely, and it aligned with his administration’s yearnings to build a formidable civil workforce in the state. The Governor charged the participants to share the knowledge gained and courageously put to practice the take aways of the workshop even in the face of daunting challenges to improve their workplaces and the society at large.
Speaking during the valedictory event, the Center Leader and Director, CIPESS FUAM, Professor Lami A. Nnamonu expressed appreciation to the Nasarawa State government led by Engr Abdullahi Sule and the Head of Civil Service, Barr. Abigail Waya for creating an enabling environment that culminated to the success of the programme. The Center Leader stated that the skill sets were essential for any government trying to build a resilience and prosperous workforce, stating that, the 5-day intensive training workshop was foundational to the future growth and sustainable development of Nasarawa State. Professor Nnamonu said, though CIPESS FUAM has trained practitioners in the six states of the North Central region and the FCT, the training in Nasarawa State was the first of its kind to be hosted by a State Government, adding that, the training was a significant step forward for Nasarawa State’s journey towards ethical governance, sustainable development and social responsibility.
The Center Director appreciated the management teams of Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) and JOSTUM for sustaining the partnership and well as facilitators for their invaluable guidance, dedication, and knowledge sharing which led to the success of the programme. Professor Nnamonu while praising the remarkable commitment and resilience of Participants noted that the training was not just about impacting knowledge but also transforming perspectives and nurturing a new generation of public servants who are committed to a higher standard of service. She called on the participants to apply the knowledge gained not only to improve their immediate work environment but also inspire by leading by example. “As you return to your departments, I encourage you to carry the principles you have learned here with pride and conviction. Lead by example and inspire your colleagues to also pursue excellence in all that they do. By doing so, you will create a ripple effect that will not only transform your immediate work environment but will contribute significantly to the growth and prosperity of Nasarawa State.” She said.
In a presentation titled “Agents of Change” the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer CIPESS FUAM, Professor Simon A. Shomkegh stated that, by the virtue of the training, participants had assumed the roles of change agents to forcefully drive the positive change the society was craving. Professor Shomkegh said, as change agents, participants were expected to contribute to reducing incidences of corruption & mismanagement of public resources, believes in equality, diversity and inclusion of human beings as well as be committed to providing mentorship to young professionals. The Monitoring and evaluation Officer further charged the participants enjoined participants to be firm in the application of their newly acquired skills, saying, “positive change is possible through men and women of courage with a firm belief in human dignity and prosperity.” In his remarks, the Vice Chancellor JOSTUM, Engr Professor Isaac N. Itodo expressed gratitude to the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the World Bank and asserted that, CIPESS was the most cherished of the University’s divisional outreach programmes which had in no time established its command on the subject of procurement, environmental and social aspects in North Central, Nigeria. Engr Professor Itodo disclosed that, the university has ensured a well-structured sustainability plan to ensure the continued delivery of the programme even after the expiration of the sponsorship period of the World Bank – one of which was the approval by the senate of the University for the transformation of the Center to an Institute of Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards (IPESS). The Vice Chancellor appreciated CIPESS team for the focused and coordinated delivery of the programmes and congratulated the participants for attaining the feat. He further lauded the Nasarawa State Government for reenergizing her workforce and expressed optimism that, the government will soon harvest the fruits of the training because it will surely impact on the of her civil service.
On her part, the Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman reiterated that, the programme was designed to increase the skills, knowledge, and overall capacity of the state civil servants in the areas of procurement, environmental of Nasarawa State. The Vice Chancellor expressed satisfaction on the success of the programme and asserted that, as civil servants, participants were the pillars of development at all levels of governance in Nasarawa State as their work will impact communities, the environment and the citizenry.
Professor Sa’adatu Liman charged participants to apply the knowledge acquired, uphold integrity, and provide exemplary leadership for the good of humanity. “As you return to your duty post, you shall carry your enhanced competencies, renewed desire and, a deeper understanding of your critical responsibilities as implementers of the plans, strategies and policies of the Nasarawa State government.” The Vice Chancellor also thanked the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State, Engr Abdullahi A. Sule the organizers and facilitators for approving the special training, hosting the programme in the state and, allowing the civil servants in the state to tap from their wealth of experiences respectively.
Participants who spoke during the event including, Zainab Musa, Nuhu Murtala and Fulera Usman Bako in separate remarks expressed profound gratitude to Nasarawa State Government and CIPESS FUAM for organizing the programme and stated that, the themes of the workshop were apt, and the knowledge acquired was sufficient to improve not just their working environment but the society at large.