The Lagos State government has reiterated its commitment to continuous training for civil servants to improve public service delivery enhance productivity and contribute to Nigeria’s ambition of building a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
Commissioner for Establishments and Training Mr Afolabi Ayantayo said the state government was strengthening its training to equip public servants with the skills knowledge and professional competence required to support growth and improve the ease of doing business.
Ayantayo spoke during the presentation of the completion report of an executive training on leadership artificial intelligence governance and economic transformation to the ministry in Alausa Ikeja.
He explained that the ministry worked with the Civil Service Commission and Office of the Head of Service to identify gaps across ministries departments and agencies (MDAs) and develop appropriate training for them.
According to him the state adopts a systematic approach to staff development beginning with the identification of training needs and extending to performance assessments to determine whether participants have applied the knowledge and skills acquired.
‘We do not operate in isolation. We work with the Civil Service Commission and the Office of the Head of Service particularly on matters relating to training career development and progression’ he said.
Ayantayo explained that the ministry’s Department of Training identifies capacity gaps across the state’s more than 100 MDAs before arranging programmes often in phases to accommodate the diverse professional and administrative needs of the public service.
He added that consultants were engaged to deliver specialised training while mechanisms were established to evaluate participants’ performance after the programmes.
‘We assess performance after training to ensure that the knowledge acquired translates into improved service delivery. Participants are also expected to transfer the knowledge and skills gained to their subordinates and colleagues.
‘This creates a multiplier effect allowing the benefits of the training to extend beyond those who participate in the programmes’ the commissioner said.
On the need for more regular training Ayantayo said the government urged civil servants to participate in professional development programmes throughout the year depending on identified needs and the requirements of their respective offices.
He cited professional groups such as the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) members who attend yearly conferences and other programmes as how continuous learning could help public servants remain up to date in their fields and improve their contributions to government operations.
According to him the objective is to ensure that training is not treated as a one-off exercise but as an ongoing investment in the competence and effectiveness of the state’s workforce.
He said the government would continue to identify areas requiring better expertise and organise interventions to strengthen performance across the public service.
Linking the initiative to Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy ambition Ayantayo said Lagos as a major centre of economic activity had a critical role to play in helping the country achieve the target.
He noted that the state’s training programmes were increasingly focused on improving the ease of doing business enabling civil servants to respond more effectively to investors businesses and emerging economic opportunities.
‘Lagos State is a significant contributor to the country’s economic activities. We therefore focus on the ease of doing business as a major component of our training programmes ensuring that public servants understand how to facilitate investment opportunities in the state and support business growth’ he said.
Ayantayo added that the government was aligning workforce development with its economic objectives to ensure that civil servants possessed the professional competence required to facilitate investment improve public administration and enhance productivity.
He expressed optimism that these efforts would strengthen the contribution of the state public service to Nigeria’s economic ambitions.
According to him several ministries including the Ministry of Commerce and Industry were working towards the same vision with government institutions expected to play complementary roles in advancing economic growth.
Consultant proposes 90-day impact assessment
Earlier the Chief Executive Officer/Senior Partner J. Soji-George Consultants (Nig.) Limited Prof Olusoji George presented the report of the four-day leadership and artificial intelligence training organised for senior state’s civil servants.
George expressed appreciation to the commissioner and the ministry’s leadership for the opportunity to contribute to human capital development within the state’s public service.
He said the programme went beyond classroom instruction providing an opportunity to strengthen the leadership technological and managerial capabilities required to improve governance and institutional performance.
According to him Lagos’s position as a major economic and innovation hub makes it imperative for its civil service to remain forward-looking adaptable and technologically competent.
He said the increasing complexity of citizens’ needs required public institutions to embrace modern leadership approaches technological innovation and improved management practices.
George explained that the consultancy was particularly interested in assessing the practical impact of the training on participants’ professional responsibilities and leadership practices.
To achieve this he proposed a 90-day challenge designed to evaluate how participants had applied the lessons from the programme in their offices.
‘Within 90 days we want to determine what participants have done differently in their leadership and professional responsibilities since completing the training including how they have applied leadership principles and management approaches in their interactions with colleagues and teams’ he said.
He added that the consultancy would welcome the opportunity to return after the assessment period to identify challenges encountered by participants and determine whether additional institutional support would be necessary to sustain the improvements.
George said the exercise would focus on practical evidence of change and measurable improvements in workplace performance rather than merely confirming the completion of a training programme.
He reaffirmed the firm’s commitment to supporting the state’s institutional development and expressed appreciation for the cooperation and professionalism demonstrated by the ministry’s leadership and coordinating teams throughout the planning and delivery of the programme.
The report was presented to the commissioner.