Ambode, Utomi map out strategies to reposition Lagos civil service

LAGOS, Nigeria – The Lagos state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has stated that the strategy of promoting and enhancing team work or synergy within the Lagos state civil service, and the strategy of embracing a lean culture approach to projects and other establishments, are crucial in attempting to chart the path to higher responsibilities in the state civil service.

According to the governor, in his keynote address, which was prepresented by Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson Oke, he said he was confident that these two strategies – along with other proven strategies which will be taught at the workshop – will make the civil service more productive, more efficient, and more goal-oriented. Ultimately, he stated, it will make the Lagos state civil service more suited to support the government of Lagos to realise its core objectives of promoting and enhancing the social infrastructural objectives of the residents of the state.

Ambode made the remark on Tuesday at the opening session of a training programme for Directors in the state civil service, tagged: ‘Effective Management Strategies for Repositioning and Higher Responsibilities’, organised by the Lagos State Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions, and facilitated by Messrs Novo Consult Human Resources Consultants at Golfview Hotel and Suites, GRA, Ikeja.

“Indeed, team work and synergy hold the key to maximum and ultimate performance. Stephen Covey, the bestselling author and management consultant said, ‘team work and strategy is what happens when one plus one equals ten or hundred or even a thousand.! It is the profound result when two or more respectful human beings determine to go beyond their preconceived ideas to meet a great challenge’.”

He charged the Directors to focus more on strategic management by appreciating the value of synergy in the work place. He added that those who underestimate the value and importance of synergy and team work in today’s work space, end up achieving less on any assigned task.

Echoing governor Ambode, Professor Pat Utomi, was of the opinion that the impact of today’s rapidly changing economic and technological landscape has made government’s task of delivering public service more complex. He said, more than ever before, government’s all over the world have increasingly come under serious public scrutiny and fiscal pressure to deliver better outcomes to citizens, and do so more efficiently.

He emphasised that, as is evident, Nigeria has not been  spared from this in recent times. He was of the opinion that on the one hand, the dynamism presented by the interaction of economic, technological and other superintending elements in these scenarios have no doubt made government’s public service delivery onerous.

On the other hand, he said, it had opened up opportunities for the exploration of out-of-the-box strategies that governments can adopt if found to better the lot of their citizens.

“Based on the aforementioned, it becomes imperative for states and government’s generally, to engage in these types of trainings and retraining, so as to meet up with the challenges of the 21st Century expectations,” Utomi said.