By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
Minister of Humanitarian , Disaster Management and Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq has called for improved service delivery by the ministry as a way of tackling humanitarian crisis in the country.
Farouq made this call in Abuja at the NAF Center while declaring open a two-day Management Retreat for staff and agencies of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development.
In her keynote address, the ministry noted that it is imperative for the ministry to strengthen it’s organizational structure for improved service delivery, adding that natural disasters and man-made crises across the country have adversely impacted the lives and the well-being of many Nigerians and must be tackled.
“This exercise is the assembly of the Management Staff of the humanitarian sector designed to brainstorm on ways of improving the actualization of the mandate of the Ministry. It is also a period of stock taking and winding down to under-study the level of implementation and impact of the various programmes of the Ministry including the National Social Investment Programmes (NSIPs).
“I commend the leadership of our various Agencies, Departments and Units which have worked tirelessly to ensure that the poor and vulnerable members of the society are given sustainable sense of belonging in the Country.”
The minister charged the participants to come up with a roadmap on strengthening the organizational structure and service delivery compact of the Ministry.
Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr Nasir Sani- Gwarzo, explained that the in-house event is designed to assess the achievements, shortfalls and challenges of the ministry since its inception.
According to him, the gathering is to brainstorm and to examine existing gaps and proffer solutions for effective in and efficient service delivery in line with the Ministry’s mandate.
The Director of Planning , Research and Statistics of the Ministry Mr Ralph Oraeluno said that the objective was to enable participants to assess the strides taken so far by the ministry.
“We are expected to find solutions to the problems that may be presented here by Departments, Agencies and Units that tend to militate against their productivity.
“It is also a period of winding down so as to gather more strength for the great task ahead of the Ministry in managing humanitarian issues in Nigeria, Oraelumo noted.
Daybreak reports that the theme of the retreat was, ‘Strengthening Social Inclusion For Improved Living Standard of Nigerians’.
