MTNDP:Ministry Aides Training will aid Development Programmes- Minister

MTNDP:Ministry Aides Training will aid Development Programmes- Minister

The Minister of State Budget and National Planning, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, has stated that the capacity building organized for Special Advisers and Technical Assistants to the Ministers of the Federal republic of Nigeria, supported by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS), is key to the Medium Term National Development Plan (MTNDP).

The Minister made this assertion during the closing ceremony of the 4 week capacity building programme for Aides of the Ministers in Abuja.

‘’This training could not have come at a more auspicious time than now that the Federal Government is in the process of developing a New Medium –Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) 2021-2025 and Nigeria Agenda 2050 across all sectors”.

According to Agba, It is against that backdrop that the capacity building and development programme was envisaged to integrate the roles of Ministerial Aides into the overall sustainable development plan of the government of Nigeria.

He also recalled that the Minister of Finance Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed, had highlighted the important supportive roles played by Special Advisers and Technical Assistants to Minister in the design and implementation of policies and plans of government aimed at ensuring an inclusive, sustainable and resilient economy in line with government priorities.

The Minister expressed optimism that the several principles learnt during the course of the training would impact participants as they returned to their various Ministries, while encouraging them to utilize the rare opportunity provided by the training to internalize and propagate the ideas embedded in the training. He also urged them to inspire and motivate the staff of their Ministries to join the change-mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR.

Prince Agba, further lauded KAS support for the Capacity Building Programmes for Aides of the Ministers, adding that the Ministry would invite KAS for further discussions with a view to reaching a historic Memorandum of Understanding that would see the institutionalization of the trainings on regular and sustained basis “which we can all be proud of”

“We will also find a way to create a System-wide adoption of the Lean Six Sigma across all sectors which would also be combined with digital technologies to ensure its success and sustainability “he maintained.

Earlier in his remarks, Dr Vladimir Kreck, Resident representative of Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung in Nigeria, expressed his delight in the success of the 4 week programme amid the COVID 19 Pandemic situation in Nigeria, adding that skills, knowledge, attitudes provided to ministerial aides would translate into an increase of good governance and improvement of performance in their respective ministries.

He also noted that the foundation KAS would continue to support the government of Nigeria as he looked forward to a deeper tie with both countries.

The Permanent Secretary Budget and National Planning, Mrs Olusola Idowu, in her vote of thanks, appreciated the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning for initiating the training programme in partnership with KAS, while assuring the German Government of a more robust and deeper relationship.