MINNA (National Planning Commission Report)
The Supervising Minister of National Planning, Bashir Yuguda has advised public and private institutions in Nigeria to embrace the culture of strategic planning as a means of achieving evidence-based growth and development goals.
The Minister stated this on Monday May 19, 2014 in his keynote address delivered at the 2014 Conference of Directors of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) in the Public Service which held in Minna, Niger State. Adding, the National Planning Commission did spearheaded Nigeria’s return to strategic development planning after about three decades of abandonment. He also noted that strategic planning is a very useful reform-based management tool for economic governance the world over.
“Strategic planning has over the years been universally recognised as a very useful reform-based management tool of economic governance. It serves as a veritable framework for coordinating the economic and social activities that take place at the national and sectoral levels, especially in developing economics and States where resources are limited with institutional weaknesses,” he indicated.
He described the DPRS Conference in the Public Service as an annual event jointly organised by the National Planning Commission; the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF); the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Nigeria and the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MDGs (OSSAP – MDGs).
The Minister commended the Niger State Government for accepting to host the conference and also identified the highly collaborative approach in the organisation of the Conference as proving most productive and rewarding in the recent past, needing to be sustained.
Yuguda further noted that the theme of the 2014 Conference – “Socio-Economic Reforms for Inclusive and Transformative Development in Nigeria” was most appropriate and timely as it is consistent with Government’s aspirations in the Transformation Agenda and NV20:2020.
He explained that the aim of the Conference is to provide a veritable platform for interaction and cross-fertilisation of ideas among the Directors and other senior level officials of the Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) Department; saying it is purposed to strengthen the capacity of officials of the public service for enhanced implementation of strategic plans, service delivery and the transformation of the Nigerian economy.
According to the Minister, the DPRS was established by the Civil Service Re-organisation Decree 43 of 1988 on the realisation of a strong need to strengthen planning, research and data gathering functions by creating planning cells in the Federal MDAs.
“The establishment of the DPRS was also aimed at institutionalising the planning process and facilitating the development and implementation of strategic plans in Nigeria,” Yuguda averred.
He said that the NPC is working closely with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation towards the professionalisation and Institutionalisation of planning cadres in the federal public service. Adding, the DPRS is expected to among other things, formulate the sectoral components of the nation’s reform-based national strategic plans as well as ensure their effective implementation.
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