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•Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation collaborating for improved public service
By Merit Ibe
Nigerian’s public sector plays a crucial role in governance, policy-making and service delivery to the population.
Undeniably, the Nigeria’s public service has the potential to unlock its economic growth and improve the lives of millions of citizens.
Regrettably, Nigeria is ranked 167th out of 174 countries in World Bank’s Human Capital Index, indicating a need for better access to effective education and health.
Besieged by myriads of challenges hindering its performance including weak organisational structures, corruption, poor remuneration and other factors, the need to digitalise public sector operations cannot be over-emphasised. While efforts are being made to address these challenges and improve the performance of the Nigerian public sector, include reforms aimed at promoting transparency, accountability, and efficiency in government agencies, there is this general understanding that so much more needed to be done to ensure that the nation’s public sector is able to deliver quality services to the citizens.
This was the crux of discussion at a recent event on the 2023 Civil Service Week themed “Digitalisation of Work Processes in the Public Service: A Gateway to Efficient Resource Utilisation and National Development.”
At that event, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan, acknowledged the crucial role played by the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation in driving the digitalisation initiatives within the public sector
She highlighted that the public service’s present and future rely on digitalisation as a veritable tool for effectively functioning and delivering prompt, citizen-centric, cost-effective public services.
Yemi-Esan extended her profound appreciation to the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation for its unwavering dedication to promoting excellence in the Civil Service, commending the collaborative efforts of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation in driving positive change within the public sector, saying that the award itself, inspire a new wave of commitment to the core values that define the Civil Service.
Also, speaking at the Civil Service Week which brought together distinguished guests, public servants, and esteemed stakeholders from various ministries, departments, and agencies, the Chairman Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, presented 32 outstanding civil servants with cash prizes of N500,000 each from the Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Endowment Fund for Public Sector Excellence.
The 32 civil servants, who were chosen after a rigorous selection process, undertaken by the OHCSF and its partners, best exemplified the core values of the civil service including loyalty, accountability, meritocracy, efficiency, and professionalism.
The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation Chairman, Aigboje Aig-Imohkuede, expressed his deep-rooted belief in the critical role of public servants in nation-building, reiterating the Foundation’s mission of continuous promotion and encouragement of excellence within the public sector.
Recognising that the country’s progress and prosperity are intertwined with the dedication of its civil servants, he stated that the establishment of the Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Endowment Fund for Public Sector Excellence represents part of the Foundation’s efforts to build a culture of meritocracy and professionalism within the civil service.
“By honouring exceptional public servants, the Foundation aims to set a benchmark for others to emulate, thereby elevating the overall standards of public service delivery across the country. This award, now in its second edition, symbolises the enduring legacy of Emily Aig-Imoukhuede, whose passion for service and commitment to the betterment of society remains an inspiration to all.
In the same vein, with support from Access Bank, has generously donated 11 laptops to the OHCSF to bolster its Enterprise Workspace Management Solutions (E-WMS) Project. The E-WMS utilises automation to optimise office space allocations within Federal Secretariat Complexes, enabling the OHCSF to monitor office spaces, occupants, and resources more efficiently.
The success of the E-WMS project represents a significant stride towards enhancing operational efficiency within the Nigeria Civil Service by strengthening team collaboration and cohesion and allowing for improved monitoring of employee attendance and performance.
At the official presentation ceremony, the Director of Programmes of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation, Ms. Chioma Njoku, commended the innovative solution to optimising workspace management and reiterated the Foundation’s unwavering commitment to supporting reform initiatives across the public sector.
Accepting the laptops on behalf of the Head of Service of the Federation, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties Office, Engr. Faruk Yusuf Yabo, expressed gratitude to the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation and Access Bank, for their support, stating that the private-public sector collaboration had been instrumental in ensuring the E-WMS project’s success.
This project represents part of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to support reform initiatives aimed at transforming the public sector.
The Foundation’s implementation of an Enterprise Content Management Solution is expected to digitalise the work of the Civil Service, the development of an e-learning platform to facilitate training across the service, the introduction of a robust performance management system to boost staff performance and a culture change project aimed at introducing the right values into the Civil Service.
Through its partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford, the Foundation has trained over 400 public servants, equipping them with the requisite skills to become active change agents in their Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs)
Indeed, the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021–2025 (FCSSIP25), launched by former President, Federal Republic of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, to reposition the Nigerian Federal Public Service as an effective machinery of government for improved service delivery, also focuses on the use of technology to improve service delivery and transparency.
In this regard, the Foundation has been collaborating extensively with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF) to accelerate the integration of digital technologies in the public sector that will enhance service delivery through Enterprise Content Management Solutions (ECMS). The ECMS project represents part of the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation’s partnership with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service to support reform initiatives to transform the public sector.
Other projects currently being supported by the Foundation include the development of an e-learning platform to facilitate training across the service, the introduction of a robust performance management system to boost staff performance and a culture change project aimed at introducing the right values into the Civil Service.
Meanwhile, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commended the Foundation’s N41 million endowment fund to reward deserving civil servants annually, describing it as a transformational approach to improving public service delivery in the country.
Tinubu opined that the private sector is becoming more interested and committed to the value proposition of the civil servants, stressing that the Foundation’s support was commendable. “The onus is now on the body of civil servants to collectively show greater dedication to its ideals,” he charged.
Since its inception, the Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation has been supporting the reform efforts of the OHCSF, providing technical assistance and funding for key reform priorities of the Nigerian Civil Service including digitalisation, the introduction of a performance management system and a culture change programme aimed at instilling the right values in the Civil Service.
It also provides capacity-building programmes for public servants, run in partnership with the Blavatnik School of Government, University of Oxford. To date its training programmes have reached over 400 public servants. The Foundation’s multibillion Naira commitment to building an efficient and effective public sector stems from its firm belief that strong leadership and capable public servants drive sustainable development and inclusive governance.
By empowering officers and public servants with the necessary skills, knowledge, and support they need to be effective in their work, the Foundation is paving the way for a transformed public sector that can meet the evolving needs and aspirations of the Nigerian people.
The Aig-Imoukhuede Foundation is a public sector-focused philanthropic organisation founded by Aigboje and Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede to improve the lives of Africans through transformed public service delivery and increased access to quality primary healthcare.
The Foundation accomplishes its mission by supporting the reform initiatives of public sector entities, providing financing, technical support, and capacity-building programmes and resources for the public-sector workforce.
Also, the Foundation provides funding and strategic support to drive the work of affiliate organisations such as Africa Business Coalition for Health (ABC Health), the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), the Nigerian Solidarity Support Fund (NSSF) and others.
