The Permanent Secretary, of Nigeria’s Ministry Of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, has stressed the need to always encourage the Nigerian workforce through training to bring out the best in them.
Sani-Gwarzo made this known in Enugu state, South-East Nigeria at the weekend while addressing participants at a capacity building workshop for social workers in the ministry held at the Federal School of Social Works, Emene, Enugu.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented at the occasion by Mr. Peter Audu, a Deputy Director at the Ministry, said: “As we are determined in our efforts at providing quality service delivery to all our targeted groups as we gear towards a new phase in achieving our mandate and at the same time, assure all the staff of the Ministry, that they will not be excluded or neglected in the scheme of things as we progress,“ Sani-Gwarzo stated.
“This in turn can bring positive team morale, giving workers a sense of purpose towards their work. These and more are the benefits envisaged to be gained as you participate in this training.
“For any organization to bring about the best results in the sector it is operating, or amongst the other players in the economy, it must consider the training of its staff very important and make it sacrosanct. By training, employees are raised to the levels of increasing productivity and efficiency which engenders profitability that boosts the worth of the organization, which in turn helps it to consolidate and remain competitive,” Gwarzo noted
He warned staff of the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, not to take training and welfare as the same thing as they are different.
“As professional social workers responsible for social service delivery in the whole spectrum of social work practices of the Social Development Sector, we cannot afford not to keep abreast with the full knowledge and information on the best practice as required of the profession. It is my genuine advice that participants avail themselves of the opportunity to engage positively by contributing and giving the Resource Persons maximum cooperation so that the purpose of this programme can be fully achieved.
“I implore you to listen with full concentration. I believe that the knowledge that would be gained in this training would be applied in our schedules going forward,” Sani-Gwarzo stated.
The purpose of training is to enable members of staff to gain new skills and knowledge that can improve their performance and efficiency. It is a fact that skills and knowledge gained by employees or staff would not only help to build on their professional competence, but it allows them to feel valued.
It also affords opportunities that allow social workers to be more driven towards their professional goals. When staff receive training, they are likely to take on higher responsibilities, which helps to improve their productivity, time management, job satisfaction, and morale and at the same time motivates them to embrace learning opportunities.
Also in an address, the Ag. Provost of the Federal School of Social Works, Emene, Enugu, Mr. Ajibola Chris said that what would be learned at the capacity building workshop, would be geared towards development and responsibility.
He expressed gratitude to the Hon. Minister, Sadia Umar Farouq, for all her efforts in making sure the school’s needs are met since she came on board.
“You all can testify by the developments going on in the school,“ Chris said.
