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FG Starts Onboarding of 5,000 Independent Monitors For Social Investment Programs

Published

4 years ago

February 4, 2021

Joel Ajayi

Federal government has flagged off the Onboarding of 5000 independent Monitors for the various National Social Investment Programmes. (NSIP)
The training programme commenced today at the NAF Conference Centre Abuja.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development Sadiya Umar Farouq while speaking at the event in the FCT, Minister Sadiya Umar Farouq said that it is her expectation that the process will strengthen the implementation of the National Social Investment Programme in Nigeria as well as provide data for evidence-based decision making.

According to her, the scope of these programmes are large with about 13million citizens across 36 states and the FCT benefiting from the Federal Government Intervention. Today, we are flagging off the training of 5000 Independent Monitors who will monitor the programme at the community level. The Independent Monitors will be assigned to monitor programme beneficiaries within their locality in schools, households and market clusters with the focus of ensuring that the primary objectives of these programmes are achieved.

“While this is the initial training to get you acquainted with your schedule of duties, the Ministry will ensure that you continue to receive regular training and guidance for effective monitoring within the communities you are assigned. You will be closely supervised by officials of the Ministry and your activities will also be monitored by the Ministry and other stakeholders at the state level”.

She therefore, charged the independent Monitors to carry out their responsibility with utmost diligence and sincerity adding that failure to adhere to the rules of engagement or any indulgence in irresponsible activities will be met with stiff penalties.

“Please be informed that the Ministry will not hesitate to take you off the Programme if you are found violating the terms of your engagement. We are also working with security agents, EFCC and the ICPC to monitor these programmes. If you are found engaging in any form of malpractice or fraud, you will be handed over to them for investigation and prosecution. I therefore urge you to carry out this task with a sense of patriotism as we all work towards the vision of Mr. President to lift 100 Million Nigerians out of Poverty in the next 10 years”.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary Nura Alkali who was represented by the Director Humanitarian Affairs, Alhaji Ali Grema tasked the Prospective Independent Monitors to shoulder the responsibility of monitoring the National Social Investment Programmes in their various communities with diligence.

“The social investment programme is a flagship programme of the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and is meant to support the vulnerable citizens in the Society. I therefore employ you to pay attention and learn from the facilitators brought here to train you on the monitoring process and data collection tools you will use in monitoring these programmes”.

In a goodwill message, the FCT Director National Orientation Agency Mrs Mary Tanko urged the Independent Monitors to shun practices capable of bringing the monitoring process to disrepute.

The State Focal Person Mrs Chinwendu Eteyen- Amba thanked the federal government for the intervention programs to assist the vulnerable especially the National Home Grown School Feeding Programme which she said has increased enrollment in primary schools.

“The children who got promoted from primary 3 to Primary 4 do not want to go to the next class because of the food. I implore the Honourable Minister to please seek to extend the Programme to the senior primary school pupils and secondary school students to lure them to school. We have also recorded an influx in school enrollment and attendance because of the school feeding Programme”.

The selected independent monitors will be based at the community level and will conduct monitoring activities within their locality including schools, households and market clusters.

They are expected to monitor and report on the implementation of the Social investment Programmes at the State level on a regular basis including the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (NHGSFP), N-Power, Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme (GEEP) and the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Programme.

The training is a follow up on an intensive two week-workshop and review at the National level by the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee setup by the Ministry to develop a Framework and Data Collection Tools for effective monitoring process.

Other dignitaries who attended the flag off include the Director Finance and Administration NSIP Mallam Abdullahi Musa Yusuf, Director Special Needs Mrs Nkechi Onwukwe, the SAP and Special Technical Assistant to the Honourable Minister on NSIP Dr Umar Bindir, SAP NSIP Dr Mohammed Nasir Mahmoud and staff of the Ministry and the FCT.

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RMRDC: Making Giant Strides Under Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso

Published

11 hours ago

September 19, 2024

The Gleamer

By Joel Ajayi

As we embark on a journey, we always pray for an able, experienced, and courageous driver, pilot, or sailor depending on the means of transportation.

This is because the captain will have enough experience and boldness to navigate out of turbulence and to bring all the passengers and crew to the intended destination.

Interestingly, these fine qualities of ability, experience, boldness, and many more, abound in the man, Prof. Nnanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso, who we all are pleased was appointed the Raw Materials Research and Development Council, RMRDC, the Director General/CEO by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu a few months ago. This is because he has brought his knowledge, ability, experience, and doggedness to bear in carrying out his assignment in charge of the Council.

The RMRDC, operating under the Federal Ministry of Innovation, Science, and Technology, is pivotal in driving Nigeria’s industrial growth by optimizing local raw materials exploitation, development, and utilization. RMRDC, ab initio, was conceived as a child of necessity when Nigeria was reeling from the throes of global recession and plummeting crude oil prices.

Without an iota of doubt, today, the council is experiencing a transformation with massive innovation in raw material exploitation, development, and utilization, supporting business and industrial growth, and contributing to Nigeria’s economic prosperity.

Speaking during a press briefing on Tuesday, in Abuja to commemorate his 100 days in office, he said the council is laying a solid foundation through numerous innovations that will further enhance growth in the country.

According to him, “In the past 100 days, my strategic pursuits have been to lay solid foundations for enduring success in these goals.

“Upon assuming this position, I set five crucial deliverables which include, refocusing the Council as a premier research institution; Strengthening the Council’s productivity and operational efficiency; and Significantly improving the staff welfare to be the best in the class of similar organizations.

“Others include, Boosting the Council’s visibility and instituting remarkable culture change that encourages ownership and productivity as well as Strengthening and deepening the Council’s place in the international arena.”While speaking on his Achievements so far, the DG revealed further: “My first task, therefore, was to implement a strategic goal-setting for the Council’s staff to define and set out clear objectives and targets to be achieved by the Council within a specified period towards refocusing on this historical mandate. We unleashed five significant initiatives in that regard.

“The nationwide raw material data collection exercise that focused on technical and investment information to drive our mission forward.

“The restructuring and renaming of the former Technology Innovation Complex (TIC), at the Obasanjo Space Center at Airport Road, Abuja, to a Research and Demonstration Plants Complex (RDPC). This complex will be Africa’s first center of excellence in raw material research, featuring state-of-the-art laboratories, technology development workshops, and proof of concept demonstrations.

“We have reactivated the Council’s Journal and repositioned it internationally. The repositioned Journal of Raw Material Research (JORMAR) will host RMRDC’s researchers’ publications, which are crucial in promoting awareness, facilitating knowledge sharing, and informing stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges in Nigeria’s raw materials sector. “The collaboration with universities and academies will strengthen our capacity for conducting market-guided research, ensuring sustained workforce training while deepening our orientation in science.

“The council has reformulated a new template for all our research proposals to ensure and sustain a clear departure from the old culture of blue-sky and deliberately endless research.”Speaking further, Prof Nwanyelugo Martins Ike-Muonso stated that Staff welfare remains a top priority as an issue of unpaid salaries is settled as well as set up a comprehensive welfare program. “Similarly, we established the RMRDC Training School to sustainably build our staff and stakeholders’ capacity to further the staff welfare improvement goal.

“We are committed to openness, inclusiveness, and performance management and have initiated steps to continuously improve staff ownership, orchestrate transformative culture change, boost our corporate visibility, and enhance.

“To further strengthen our visibility and communication strategies, we are upgrading our media infrastructure, which includes the launch of the RMRDC online media platform, The RMRDC TV Online.

“Additionally, we are working hard to effectively enhance the intellectual property and patent portfolio of RMRDC from its current 40 to approximately 200 new patents within the next 24 months. This proactive approach secures valuable IP assets and positions the Council as a leader in innovation within the raw materials sector, contributing to Nigeria’s overall economic growth.“As well as launching an e-registration and certification portal to enhance transparency in the raw materials sector,” DG revealed.

He however reaffirmed his commitment to reshape the future of research, technology, and innovation, driving Nigeria towards an industrially vibrant and technologically resilient economy.

“As I mark 100 days in office, I boldly say that the Council is on the verge of rewriting its history.

“I believe that in no distant future, RMRDC will play a leading role in enhancing raw materials’ development to boost raw materials’ industrial trial processing and attain sustainable industrial growth in Nigeria.

The DG, however, applauded the Minister of Innovation, Science, and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji, for his unwavering support and mentorship, saying the Minister’s leadership has been instrumental in the progress made so far.

In his opening remarks, the Directorate of Corporate Affairs, Mr Chucks Ngaha commended the hard-working DG who has weathered the storm further to put the Council on the ladder of more prosperity.

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