*As Minister Insists Step-Down Agenda Must Drive Positive Change
To ensure increased productivity in the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and it's agencies, the top officials have signed performance bond.
According to a statement by the Head (Press and Public Relations Unit), Mrs. Kania Maliki Andeyaba, this was done in Keffi, Nasawara State during a two-day Capacity Building Retreat for the top management Staff of the ministry, the Ministerial Delivery Task Team, and Heads of Agencies.
The statement revealed that performance bond signing will also cascade down to Directors and Heads of Unit in the Ministry.
Speaking at the capacity building themed "Step Down Retreat for the Ministry & its Agencies Top Management Staff and Ministerial Delivery Task Team on Presidential Deliverables", the Honourable Minister, Dr Bosun Tijani said that the Ministry's step-down agenda on the eight key priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the President Bola Ahmed Tunubu's administration must aim at full implementation and drive positive change in the society.
Dr Bosun noted that, as a people, "We are blessed with a unique President with clarity to take the nation to the right direction at this critical time."
The Minister believed that, one of the ways to drive the Ministerial Deliverables is to go in line with the Presidential deliverables, through the policy document of the Strategic Blueprint for mainstreaming key technology to support Mr President and the government agenda, which is also the same with the social investment programme.
"Without technology, it will be difficult to identify the vulnerables in the society with special needs", the minister said.
According to him, it is possible to use the Ministry's position to change positively the entire trajectory of the economy through digital skills and its application, in the Educational system, Agriculture, Health, and other areas.
Dr Tijani also noted that it was timely and important to build capacity that will enable the ministry and its agencies to have better understanding of their responsibilities and capacity to deliver on those deliverables vis-a-vis with the Presidential deliverables.
The challenge facing the country, he said, is not the lack of vision or ideas to move the nation forward, but that the biggest challenge is how to ensure that Innovation is cascaded to every member of government and to the society in general.
He said "Truly, our Step Down Agenda should ensure that in everything we do is that our work is driving towards the change that we all want to see in the society.
"If this is not our focus, it will be difficult to contribute to make Nigeria a better place for all", he added.
Speaking earlier, the Permanent Secretary, Engr Faruk Yusuf Yabo highlighted the background of the Ministry's Strategic Blueprint, which has 5 pillars (Knowledge/Talent, Policy, Infrastructure, Entrepreneurship/Innovation/Capital, and Trade ) and are strategically connected to the national and global vision.
Harping on the Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the eight priorities of the President's administration based on his campaign promises, he said, it's to reposition the economy for the greater good of all Nigerians.
He explained that the Performance Management System is a new policy of government on Digitalization, which is a key element that will be tracked by the President to see what the stakeholders in the digital sector have been able to achieve based on the Presidential Deliverables.
Engineer Faruk said that the essence of the Strategic Blueprint, Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2021-2025 are to ensure that Nigeria system are at par with its contemporaries across the world.
He called on the stakeholders to create an environment that allows for digitalization of the economy across the sectors in order to achieve the set objectives of the present administration.
Assuring the participants that the team of experts will give more insights into the fundamentals as to what Mr President intends for the Ministry and its Agencies, he said, it will help to achieve the strategic policies that will be conducive for Nigerians based on his campaign promises.
The Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, Professor Adepoju called for the proper calibration of the template to ensure a well justified way of scoring.
The statement noted that the highpoint of the retreat was "the signing of Performance Bond between the Minister and the Permanent Secretary of Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy with its Heads of Agencies which will also cascade down to Directors and Heads of Unit."
Among those who attended the Step Down Retreat included officials of the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) and Head of Service, who facilitated the technical sessions.
Participants were also drawn from the ministry and its agencies.