National GDP growth depends on performance of public service – Oyo-Ita

Winifred Oyo-Ita, the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, says the growth of a nation’s Gross Domestic Product depends on the output of its public service.
Oyo-Ita said this in Abuja on Monday while signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Africa Initiative for Governance, an NGO, established with the aim of inspiring public sector transformation in Africa.
She explained that the partnership with the NGO would help the Head of Service actualise the various reforms embedded in its plans over the years.
The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation noted that the organisation would engage in capacity building programme for public service, adding that knowledge was power and key to ensure sustainable development.
According to her, the world has changed and everything is now based on knowledge and in Nigeria we cannot continue the old way, we must adopt this new approach of reform.
Oyo-Ita said: “This is the time of intellect, many developed nations don’t have oil and they depend on knowledge for their economic growth and we are ready to partner with the private sector to achieve growth.
“There is a mysterious connection between how well the public service performs and the GDP of a nation.
“If we don’t get it right, we will continue to suffer as a poor nation.
“Fund constraints had made civil servants of these days to be unexposed and not up to date with global standards but this partnership would address all these challenges.”
Responding, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, the Founder of Africa Initiative for Governance, said the MoU would ensure that service delivery was enhanced in Nigeria.
He explained that the organisation would sponsor world class consultants in capacity building programme for public servants, adding that learning was the answer to development.
Aig-Imoukhuede said inability to pay international consultants was a major factor contributing to the underdevelopment of Africa.
According to him, the Head of Service had developed a 2017/2019 strategic plan aimed at revolutionising the civil service of the federation across different areas.
He mentioned culture and capacity building, technology and entrepreneurship as the areas targeted for the reform.
He said he was enthusiastic about the plan and what it held for Nigeria and that was why AIG wanted to key into the plan and ensure it was achieved.
The AIG boss said that the public sector in Nigeria should be transformed to guarantee sustained economic growth.
Aig-Imoukhuede said: “The power of knowledge that exists in the private sector is tremendous and the government has not recognised this for it to harness the knowledge.
“We want to ensure we remove the constraints between the public sector and private sector by this MoU we have just signed and make sure Nigeria succeeds.”