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VP Shettima: NIPSS at the centre of Nigeria’s policy formulation
Vice President, Sen Kashim Shettima, has assured that the Tinubu administration will reposition the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, for good and quality policy advice to the government.
This, he said, had become pertinent given the very crucial and indispensable role the institute would be playing in shaping and retooling government’s policies.
According to the VP, the Federal Government would make use of the beautiful recommendations brought by the institution.
A statement by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communication, Office of the Vice President, has it that Shettima gave the assurance on Tuesday when he received in audience the management team from NIPSS led by the Director General, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said, “We really need to recalibrate the system and see to it that all the beautiful policy recommendations by NIPSS are brought into reality, because the world is changing and the world is gradually becoming knowledge-driven.
“NIPSS is a policy think-tank for the government just as we have its equivalent in other parts of the world such as the Global Policy Institute, the Chatham House, the Adam Smith Institute, the Royal United Institute for Defence Studies in Russia, and the Hopkins Institute in the United States of America.”
VP Shettima cautioned Africa against missing the chance to fill the gap in a knowledge-driven world as she did during the agriculture and industrial revolution.
“We missed the agricultural age; Africa missed the industrial age. We are now in the knowledge-driven age. When others are talking about artificial intelligence, of bio-technology, of internet things, we are busy dwelling on farmer-herders clash and things that we ought to have overcome decades ago,” he stated.
Asking the management of the Institute to make a formal presentation of the executive summaries of all its policy recommendations to the government, Vice President Shettima said, “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to reset the national agenda. President Bola Tinubu has the courage to take far-reaching decisions.
“As much as possible, we will support you not to compromise on your quality, not to compromise on your standard, so that you should not be a dumping ground for frustrated public officers because, at a point in time, that was what NIPSS degenerated into.
“If somebody is going to be punished then he is sent to NIPSS for a year. Somebody with such a mindset can hardly absorb what you are going to teach. So, this time around, as much as possible, we will minimise political patronage and send credible people within the required age bracket, within the required professional cadre so that whatever experiences and exposure they gain can be translated into the governance structure.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Director General of NIPSS said his management team came to brief the Vice President on the operations of the institute, adding that the organisation was established in 1979 to advise government on several policy directions and train high profile policy makers in the country.
His words, “There is no problem in the country that NIPSS has no solution to. NIPSS supports the Presidency in terms of policy. It deals with all sectors of the economy.”
According to Prof Omotayo, the Vice President oversees the administration of NIPSS, approves the nominees to be trained, as well as approve the course of study for the session.
Those in the delegation were Brig Gen L Y Udaya (rtd); Prof Fumi J. Para-Mallam; Prof Dung Pam Sha; Codr S Dahun; Prof Sola Adeyanjin; Bawa Ahmed and Dr Catherine Maduagwu.
News
Breaking: NHRC, LEDAP begin consultative forum on eliminating harmful traditional, religious practices
By Bonaventure Phillips Melah
A consultative forum to seek ways of eliminating harmful traditional religious practices that impact rights of women and gender equality in Nigeria is set to begin in Abuja.
Organized by the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC, and the Legal Defence and Advocacy Project, LEDAP, the gathering is themed- “Empowering Traditional Rulers in Nigeria to Adopt and Implement Community Guidelines for Gender Equality and Non-Discrimination Against Women.”
Among dignitaries to speak at the event are Dr. Tony Ojukwu, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Chino Obiagwu, SAN, National Coordinator, LEDAP and Prof. Joy Ezeilo, SAN, Executive Director, Women Aid Collective.
Details later…..
The Director General of AGRHYMET, Dr. Issoufou Baoua, led a high-level delegation to the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) as part of the Joint Mission on the operationalization of the Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel (RCC-WAS).
He was accompanied by the WMO Representative for West, Central & North Africa, Dr. Bernard Gomez, and the ECOWAS Representative, Prof. Mansur Matazu.
The mission focused on advancing regional collaboration required to fully operationalize RCC-WAS — a key initiative designed to enhance climate services, strengthen resilience, and support informed decision-making across West Africa and the Sahel.
During the engagement, the AGRHYMET DG outlined the core objectives of the mission, which include strengthening institutional partnerships, aligning regional priorities, identifying capacity-building needs, and setting actionable milestones for the effective take-off of RCC-WAS.
Receiving the delegation, the Director General/CEO of NiMet, Prof. Charles Anosike, reaffirmed NiMet’s commitment to the successful establishment of RCC-WAS. He emphasized that NiMet will provide technical expertise and tools — including MeteoWiz — participate in joint research efforts, and contribute to the development of advanced climate monitoring and forecasting capabilities for the region.
The visit marked a significant step forward in consolidating regional cooperation. Both institutions reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening climate services, and the meeting concluded with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the operationalization of the Regional Climate Centre for West Africa and the Sahel.
President Bola Tinubu has set up a high level committee to resolve issues on N4 trillion owed to federal contractors in the country.
According to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, the President also expressed displeasure over the huge debt.
He made the disclosure while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by the President at the Council Chambers, Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the President was enraged after learning that about 2,000 contractors are owed.
Onanuga, who stood in for the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris said: “He made it very, very clear he is not happy and wants a one-stop solution.
“An important highlight in the course of the FEC meeting is that the President expressed very, very grave displeasure about the fact that contractors are being owed money.
“The DG (Director-General) of the Bureau of Public Procurement actually told the President that about 2000 contractors are being owed money and this made the President very, very upset.
“So the ministers are going to look into the problem to really find a solution, to find the money to be used in paying the contractors.”
The presidential aide explained that the committee has as members, the Ministers of Finance (and Coordinating Minister of the Economy), Wale Edun; Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu; Works, Dave Umahi; Education, Olatunji Alausa; Housing, Ahmed Dangiwa; and Marine & Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, along with the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Tanimu Kurfi; and the Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, Dr Zacch Adedeji.
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