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DIRECTOR GENERAL OF NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY RECEIVES REPRESENTATIVES OF AIG-IMOKHUEDE FOUNDATION
The Director-General of National Productivity Centre, Dr Baffa Babba Dan’Agundi, received a team from the AIG-Imokhuede Foundation on Wednesday as part of a schedule for achieving their collaborative efforts.
The National Productivity Centre (NPC) and AIG-Imokhuede Foundation are collaborating to enhance productivity and efficiency in Nigeria’s public sector.
The primary goals of this partnership are twofold. Firstly, it aims to elevate the managerial and operational competencies of Nigerian civi servants at the sub-national level through the utilization of innovative productivity improvement tools and techniques. This strategic initiative is designed to bolster labour productivity in Nigeria through public sector leadership development programmes.
Secondly, the partnership aims to strengthen capacities for effective policy design and implementation, with a focus on enhancing economic growth and public sector service delivery.
The team from the AIG-Imokhuede Foundation, led by the Director of Programmes, Ms Chioma Njoku, met with the Director-General of the National Productivity Centre as part of the implementation process for achieving the proposed objectives, as well as to brief him on the progress recorded.
In his welcoming address, Dr Baffa Dan’Agundi expressed optimism that the versatile productivity and management consultants in the Centre, located in twenty states across Nigeria, would be of great asset in the implementation of the programme. He also commended the efforts of Mrs. Ofovwe Aig-Imoukhuede, Executive Vice-Chairperson of the AIG-Imokhuede Foundation, for her passion and zeal in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Nigerian public sector.
Speaking on the confidence he has in the partnership, Dr Dan’Agundi said: ” I strongly believe that the collaboration between the National Productivity Centre and AIG Imoukhuede Foundation will greatly impact the civil servants in the selected states, which will lead to improved productivity growth in these selected states”.
Addressing the visitors, Dr Baffa Dan’Agundi emphasized the Centre’s commitment to the success of the project and assured them of his willingness to support the project.
“I will give you all the necessary support that is needed to ensure that this collaboration yields a fruitful result, to the growth and development of Nigeria at large.
” I have carefully gone through the memorandum of understanding approved by the former Director-General and have agreed to commit to the MOU”
In her remarks, the AIG-Imokhuede Foundation team leader explained the activities and programmes of the Foundation, including their various capacity building programmes.
Highlighting the various stages of the programme, Ms. Njoku said the meeting with the Director-General has kick-started the work plan for effective programme implementation.
Speaking further, she noted: “The project objective aligned with the Foundation’s goals of enhancing the lives of Africans through improved public service delivery.
“Our collaboration with NPC aims to boost public sector productivity by addressing sector-specific challenges, building staff capacity, and promoting collaboration among divers stakeholders,” she added.
The partnership had earlier been formalised by the signing of an MOU on March 19th, 2024. This particular project will be carried out in Ondo, Kebbi, Borno, Edo, Lagos, Nasarawa, Sokoto, Anambra, and Bauchi, Imo, Kwara, Rivers, and Taraba states, while the agricultural, industrial, and service sectors have been earmarked as pilot areas for the project.
This partnership between the National Productivity Centre and the AIG-Imokhuede Foundation holds immense promise for driving sustainable growth, innovation, and effectiveness within Nigeria’s public sector.
By empowering civil servants and strengthening policy implementation, they aim to create a more effective and efficient public service delivery system.
The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking ring in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
In a major operation, the police rescued 83 individuals and a child from a house in the Orogun area of the city, where they had allegedly been held for an undisclosed period.
Preliminary reports suggest that the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were lured to Nigeria under the pretence of being offered employment opportunities.
There are also claims that the perpetrators extorted significant sums of money, reportedly in dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of the elaborate scheme.
The rescued individuals are currently at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where authorities are conducting further investigations to ascertain the full details of the case.
Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.
Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.
Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.
A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.
Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.
The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.
Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.
Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.
The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.
Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has ordered a clampdown on unregistered hospitals and quack medical personnel operating within the territory.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the Minister warned, “Henceforth, anyone found to be operating or working in an unregistered health facility should be arrested and prosecuted.”
According to the statement, Wike issued the directive following the death of a 35-year-old pregnant woman, Chekwube Chinagorom, after a caesarean section at Afolmi Hospital, a private, unregistered facility located in Durumi, Abuja.
The statement described the incident as unfortunate, stressing that despite the free registration of pregnant women into the Federal Capital Territory Health Insurance Scheme, many still patronise unsafe health facilities.
“In the FCT, vulnerable persons, including pregnant women, enjoy free enrollment into the FHIS, which allows them free access, through the Primary Health Care Centres, to all services covered in the Basic Minimum Package of Health Services,” Olayinka said.
He further noted that several hospitals in the FCT, including Gwarinpa, Nyanya, Abaji, and Kuje General Hospitals, have been designated as Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care centres, offering cesarean sections free of charge.
“Our pregnant women are once again urged to take advantage of this free health insurance scheme and stop visiting quack medical personnel and unregistered health facilities,” Olayinka added.
According to the statement, Chinagorom was brought in dead to Asokoro District Hospital after undergoing a caesarean section at Afolmi Hospital. While she died, her baby was delivered alive and referred to Asokoro Hospital for care.
An investigation by the Private Health Establishments Registration and Monitoring Committee revealed that Afolmi Hospital was not duly registered. During inspection, only one staff member, Mr. Simon Elisha Godiya, a Junior Community Health Extension Worker, was found on duty.
“Mr. Godiya reported that the surgical operation was performed by one Murtala Jumma in conjunction with another unidentified individual. All attempts to reach Murtala Jumma via phone were unsuccessful.
“Shortly after the PHERMC team arrived at the facility, a detachment of officers from the Nigeria Police, Durumi Divisional Headquarters, also arrived. The case was immediately handed over to the Police for further investigation.
“The officer in charge requested that the PHERMC team accompany them to the station to formally record the incident, and the team complied accordingly.
“The Nigeria Police is currently assisting in identifying the individuals responsible for the surgery, verifying their qualifications, and investigating the circumstances that led to the death of the late Chekwube Chinagorom at Afolmi Hospital,” the statement added.