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NYSC Appeals For Memoranda In Support Of Trust Fund

Published

3 years ago

February 17, 2022

Joel Ajayi

As the public hearing on the bill for the establishment of NYSC Trust Fund slated for 24th February, 2022 approaches, the Scheme has appealed to members of the public to send memoranda in support of the bill to the House Committee on Youth and Sports, and also make themselves available on the day of the public hearing to lend support to the institution of the Trust Fund.

NYSC Director-General, Major General Shuaibu Ibrahim stated this on Thursday in Abuja, during a training programme organised for Desk Officers on the documentation of NYSC activities.

He asked that all hands be on deck for the actualisation of the Trust Fund, which would address the challenges of inadequate funding, infrastructural deficits in the Scheme, expansion of Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development programme (SAED ), provision of start-up capitals for Corps Members to drive their business initiatives under the SAED programme, among others.

“As you may be aware, public hearing on the bill for the estaishment of the NYSC Trust Fund has been fixed for Thursday, 24th February, 2022.

Accordingly, l enjoin you all to complement our advocacy efforts towards the actualization of the Trust Fund.

All of us should endeavour to explore our network of friends, including influencial persons, Corps employers, members of the academia, civil society organizations, students bodies, media practitioners and other groups for this purpose.

We should encourage them to send memoranda in support of the bill to the House Committee on Youth and Sports, as well as make physical appearance on the day of the public hearing to lend their support”, the DG said.

Speaking through the Director, Internal Audit, Mr Leke Abiodun, the Director-General said there was the need to adequately document the Scheme’s activities for posterity, adding that NYSC “is one of the enduring national institutions that have positively impacted the lives of Nigerians and shaped the socio-economic and political development of the nation.”

He urged the Desk Officers to be committed to the goal of the training by paying adequate attention and take to heart the knowledge that would be imparted into them, as he promised management’s support for the effective discharge of their duties.

The Director-General stated further that the Scheme is not resting on its oars as the need to sustain documentation of its activities formed the basis for the training, which would equip the Desk Officers for effective and efficient conduct of their assignments.

“As you return to your various formations after the training, you are to remain committed to this special assignment to enable us achieve the goal of your appointment as members of the standing committee and Desk Officers on the documentation of NYSC activities”, lbrahim said.

The DG enjoined the Desk Officers to remain committed to their assignment, as Management plans to publish the end product of their uploads in book form, as well as make them available for online research works.

The Chairman, Standing Committee on the documentation of NYSC activities, Mr Hilary Nasamu, whose address was read by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics, Alhaji Ahmed Wada Ikaka said the committee has made frantic efforts for data collation, having collated more than 2,000 online pages that are ready for both print and online publications.

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

Published

2 days 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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