The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) State Accountability, Transparency and Effectiveness Activity (State2State) Nigeria, and Ebonyi State government, have drafted and validated a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) document for Area Information Officers (AIOs) and Public Relations Officers (PROs) to enhance professionalism.
The SOP document, which was drafted in February 2024 during a three-day workshop organised by the Agency, was validated by the Ebonyi State’s Commissioner for Information and State Orientation, Mr. Jude Okpor, during a two-day workshop held in Abakaliki, the State capital.
Validating the document, Mr. Okpor represented by the Acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Egwu Anya Nkama, said that the document will help the PROs in the ministries and the AIOs to ensure professionalism, efficiency and competence in the discharge of their duties.
Mr. Nkama noted that the document, which will be re-presented to the State governor, Francis Nwifuru, for adoption as a standard operating document for all ministries in the State, will enhance transparency and citizens participation in the activities of the State Government in line with the governor’s ‘People’s Charter of Needs’ mantra.
He commended the agency for the efforts in fostering an environment conducive to the professional development of the Ministry of Information’s officers, adding that the document will help the State to ensure efficiency in information dissemination, management and feedback mechanism.
Addressing the participants during the validation, the Communications Specialist of the Agency, Mrs. Nneka Acholonu Egbuna, said that the validation workshop was aimed at completing all the processes and procedures of the document for onward transmission to the State Government.
She noted that part of the activities of State2State was to ensure efficient and effective information dissemination, adding that with the SOP document, most of the challenges confronting the PROs and the AIOs in the past will be eliminated even as she called for the full adoption and implementation of the document by the State Government.
She expressed the optimism that when adopted, the SOP will create an enabling environment for the end-users to do their work in line with clear guidelines, urging them to make judicious use of the document.
The State Team Lead, USAID State2State, Dr. Sam Onyia, said that the support of the agency in the State will be coming to an end by August next year and assured that all the good works of the agency in all the different sectors will be carried on and sustained in the State.
He maintained that as the support was at its terminal stage, three things remain it’ focal point, which include, consolidation, sustainability and institutionalisation and urged the participants to work towards achieving the three focal points.
