The director general, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Prof. Ayo Omotayo, has said the institute has practical solutions in its archive and library that can change the face of Nigeria.
Addressing newsmen in Kuru near Jos yesterday, he said; “I can tell you that in our library and archive, we have a very rich repartoire and practical solutions to the problems bedeviling our nation.”
He said one major thing he found out on assumption of office about eight months ago was the near absence of visibility of the institute at the national dialogue and a very poor policy uptake over the years.
Prof. Omotayo lamented that when the federal government sent in very high level individuals for reflection engagement and research to proffer solutions to some national problems based on national priority he expected that some of the solutions that come out should have been adopted by stakeholders.
He said; “I found out that most of the practical solutions hardly go out to where it should be. So for me I felt visibility is very key and we need to reposition the institute and put it on the pedestal where whatever actions or activities we are carrying out must be shown to Nigerians.”
The director-general further noted that in order to achieve the said objective he had reformed the media and protocol apparatus to continue to project the programmes activities of the institute to Nigerians and the entire world.
He explained that on assumption to office he has embarked on a visit to stakeholders like the senate president, speaker, House of Representatives, Sultan of Sokoto, the Gbong Gwom Jos, Olu of Warri, ministers of communication and foreign affairs and many others to bring them at par with the institute.
Prof. Omotayo added the aim of the visits and consultation was to tell the stakeholders that the institute still exists and that they have a lot to offer and will continue to push so that its relevance is not subsumed as they want people to know what the institute is set out to do in the country.
He further noted that the security situation in NIPSS is not as bad as people think, adding that they were doing everything humanly possible with the army, police, NSCDC and DSS to ensure the protection of SEC participants and staff.
