Lagos State Government Increases Productivity Through Regular Civil Service Training

BY SAMUEL TYOTSUA, Lagos

The Lagos State Government says it is using regular civil service training to improve productivity, ease the conduct of business and support the Federal Government’s ambition to build a $1 trillion economy by 2030.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Mr Afolabi Ayantayo, stated this during the presentation of a completion report on a four-day Advanced Leadership and Artificial Intelligence Training Programme for senior civil servants in the state.

Ayantayo said the ministry identified skills gaps across ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and engaged consultants to provide training tailored to the needs of public servants.

He explained that the ministry’s Department of Training identified areas requiring improvement before arranging relevant programmes across professional, technical and administrative fields.

According to him, the ministry had mechanisms for measuring staff performance after training to determine whether participants applied the knowledge acquired in their workplaces.

He added that trained personnel were expected to share their knowledge with their subordinates, extending the benefits of the programmes beyond individual participants.

The commissioner said the state’s training programmes were also designed to improve ease of doing business and equip public servants to respond effectively to investment opportunities.

“Our training is channelled and patterned towards that, to ensure that at most we generate a large chunk of that $1 trillion economy that is being targeted by the Federal Government,” he said.

He added that the state was working through the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and other ministries to support the economic growth agenda.

Earlier, the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Partner of J. Soji George Consultants (Nigeria) Limited, Prof. Olusoji George, presented the completion report on the four-day training programme to the commissioner.

George said the firm planned to return after 90 days to assess how participants had applied the leadership principles and management approaches acquired during the training.

He said the assessment would examine changes in participants’ professional responsibilities and interactions with colleagues, as well as identify challenges encountered and any additional institutional support required.

George said the programme was intended to help develop a forward-looking, adaptable and technologically competent civil service capable of responding to the changing needs of citizens.

He expressed appreciation to the ministry’s leadership and coordinating teams for their cooperation and support during the planning and implementation of the programme.