ABUJA (Women Affairs Ministry Report) – The Nigerian Government has approved the professionalization of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the creation of an additional Department of Economic Services with immediate effect.
In a statement released on September 24, 2014, the Publicity Department of the Ministry indicated that the approval was conveyed to the Ministry in a letter referenced: OCHSF/MSO/24/111 on August 11, 2014, signed by the Permanent Secretary of the Career Management Office in the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mohammed Abbas. The statement also noted that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation has approved that the Ministry be restructured into Nine (9) Departments and Seven (7) Units to provide added impetus for the realization of the goals of the Ministry as well as the current Transformation Agenda of Government and the long term objectives of Vision 20:2020.
“It is expected that the professionalization of the Ministry will result in a more qualitative workforce that would harness the organisational potentials of the Ministry to provide well-researched and focused policies, programmes and projects that will yield more efficient service delivery to women, children, Persons with Disabilities, the Elderly and other vulnerable Nigerians,” it said.
“It is envisaged that the creation of the Economic Services Department will provide for effective development of the fundamental ways of discharging economic initiatives with regards to the growing inequality, poverty and violent displacement of women, Persons with Disabilities and the Elderly in recent times, among others.”
According to the release, the Head of the Civil Service approved that the professional Departments in the Ministry be manned by professional social workers. Adding, the Administrative Officers in these departments who have spent considerable number of years and have undergone extensive capacity building in the field of social work, should be given the option of converting laterally to the Social Welfare Officer and Community Development Officer Cadres to become professionals in the Departments.
The Publicity Department of the Ministry further noted that the Ministry was directed to ensure the establishment of Social Development Officer Cadre through a memorandum to the National Council of Establishment (NCE) to supplement the existing Social Cadres. It intensified that the Ministry was also to gear up efforts at pushing for the enactment of the Nigerian Institute for Social Works which has passed the second reading at the House of Representatives.
“While government did not approve the creation of Gender Officer Cadre in line with the decision arrived at the 38th Meeting of the National Council on Establishment held on February 26 – to 28, 2014 in Ilorin, Kwara State, it however directed that Officers deployed to work in Gender Units in Ministries, Departments and Agencies should convert laterally to the existing Social Welfare Cadre and be given the necessary training to function effectively,” the statement disclosed.
In giving further insight into the restructuring of the Ministry, it was directed that the Women Affairs Department be renamed Women and Gender Affairs Department to reflect its expanded mandate and to have two divisions, comprising – ‘Women’s Right and Gender Development’ as well as ‘Women Education and Organisation.’ It was also directed that a Department of Economic Services be created out of the Women Affairs Department and should incorporate the divisions of Cooperative Development and Skills Development.
While stressing on the efforts of the Ministry on the directive, the statement averred that the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, Habiba Lawal (Dr) issued an internal circular which inferred that by the authority which created the new department, all existing Empowerment Desks in the four professional departments were to be pooled under the new department.
The statement said that the current Head of the Economic Services Division under the defunct Women Affairs Department ‘James Olowoofoyeku’ has been appointed as the Acting Director of the new Economic Services Department.
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