SANWO-OLU CALLS FOR TECHNOLOGICALLY DRIVEN PUBLIC SERVICE

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu has stressed the need for the nation’s Public Service to be more innovative and technologically driven owing to its significant role in national development.

Speaking yesterday through his deputy, Dr. Kadri Obafemi Hamzat at the Opening of the 42nd Meeting of the National Council on Establishment in Ikeja, the governor emphasized that “in the 21st Century where technology and innovation are the main drivers of development, our public service must not live in the past; it must reflect the new age and strive to be competitive as a foremost public service in the sub-region and Africa”.

While stressing that the Public Service, no doubt occupies strategic position in governance as a result of the responsibilities entrusted in their care, Sanwo-Olu noted that no government can succeed in actualizing its vision and plan for the people without an effective, efficient and innovative public service charged with its responsibility of implementing government policies and programmes.

He disclosed that his administration accords conditions of service and staff welfare a pride of place in the state and is committed to ensuring that its serving and retired public servants are deservedly compensated and appreciated for their meritorious services.

The governor remarked that the state government is resolute in its conviction to bequeath a greater Lagos to both present and future generation.

Earlier in her address, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Folasade Yemi-Esan stated that in line with its role as the engine room for national development, a modern Nigerians Civil Service must remain strategically positioned to develop and drive reforms that would have transformational impact on all sectors of the nation’s economy.
She emphasized that as service providers, civil servants must brace up to meeting the challenges of service delivery and other dividends of democracy to the rising population of the country.

Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan added that arising from this challenge, the President Muhammadu Buhari led administration is putting in place, a number of mechanisms to drive its flagship digitalization project. According to her, this include the implementation of a service-wide Enterprise Content Management Solution (ECMS) which is aimed at digitizing records and automating workflow to achieve overall improvement in information sharing and collaboration across the Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government.

In addition, she disclosed that her Office is currently finalizing the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all processes ahead of the service-wide roll out for the Enterprise Content Management Solution (ECMs).
In his remarks, Lagos State Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola noted that meeting would avail the council the opportunity of midwifing the required improvement in the Civil Service delivery.

He stated that “It is clearly evident that yesterday’s skills have proved inadequate in addressing today’s issues. There is therefore no gainsaying that today’s knowledge and skills may not be sufficient in confronting tomorrow’s challenges”.

He also noted that the world is more dynamic than ever before, the pace of change is unbelievably fast and it is manifestly clear that the work would be significantly determined by emerging technologies”.

He stated the meeting presented a unique opportunity to interrogate and review the structure, processes and procedure in a way ‘that will enable the council engineer a more responsive Public Service Structure in which all Public Officers would be imbued with the core values of discipline, ethics and the highest standards of professionalism by default.