…charges members to evolve standards to certify persons for social standards practice in Nigeria
By Palma Ileye
Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Women Affairs, Monilola Udoh has charged members of the Technical Working Group, TWG, of the Social Standards Node of the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement, SPESSE, to ensure that the impact of the Project was felt by all Nigerians.
Udoh gave the charge yesterday during the inauguration of the TWG members and opening the retreat for the group at Sawalino Hotel, Keffi, Nasarawa State.
The Permanent Secretary who was represented by the Director, Gender Affairs, Mrs. Friya Kimde Bulus stressed that the TWG should achieve its targeted goals through a reduction of incidences of corruption, mismanagement of public resources and skill gap; increased productivity as well as use of digital technology among students, practitioners and employers, while ensuring total compliance with the requirements of the Project’s Environment and Social Commitment Plan, ESCP.
She further charged the TWG to be very conversant with the content and provisions of the Environmental and Social Standards, ESS, fundamentals for better understanding of the overall deliverable of the Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Enhancement, SPESSE, Project and let people begin to see the introduction of “social standards” into the public sector as a new profession in Nigeria.
Stating that being informed, understanding the ESS “will help the TWG members in the development and monitoring of the online Professional Certification Programme on Social Risk Management and Certifying persons for social standard practice in Nigeria.”
She also asked the inaugurated the TWG members to immediately commence their task in earnest.
Udoh gave the TWG members their terms of reference, TOR which includes: Commencing the review of the existing draft certification content and reach a consensus on its suitability for the purpose it is meant to serve; and Developing the framework, roadmap, deliverables, and timelines for the achievement of the set objectives of the TWG.
For the above TOR for the TWG, the Permanent Secretary, Women Affairs stated that her Ministry and her implementing partners “expect to see” “reduction of incidences of corruption, mismanagement of public resources and skill gap, increased productivity as well as use of digital technology among students, practitioners and employers”, while ensuring total compliance with the requirements of the SPESSE Project’s Environment and Social Commitment Plan, ESCP.
According to a press release issued yesterday by the Ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Olujimi Oyetomi, the SPESSE is a project primarily aimed at bridging the gap between insufficient supply of quality professionals in the Procurement, Environment and Social sectors as well as addressing lack of academic programmes and curricula in the Nigerian educational system in the three mentioned sectors.
The project is therefore aimed at developing sustainable capacity in managing procurement, environment, and social safeguards in the public sector.
The statement listed Prof. James Anyangunnam (Federal Ministry of Women Affairs), Igbokwe Frank Chika (Federal Ministry of Health), Jamal Ali Ahmed, (Federal Ministry of Women Affairs), Ladi Daniela Aku (Office of Head of Federal Civil Service), Peter Tolorise (National University Commission, PIU), Engr. Ibi Terna (Federal Ministry of Works and Housing), Ulunta Justice Chukwudi (THSI-N), Juliana Adebambo (Federal Ministry of Labour & Employment), Dr. John Olanrewaju (Trade Union Congress), Edwin Anisha (MNILS), Joseph Adeniyi (Nigeria Employers Consultative Assembly), and Prof. M.B. Nuhu (Federal University of Technology, Minna) as the inaugurated members of the TWG.
It read, “At the inauguration of the TWG of Social Standards Node of the SPESSE Project, the Permanent Secretaries and Heads of the Partner Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) of Government were represented and they expressed their expectations of the TWG members and the Project.”
Also, the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Works and Housing, represented by Engr. Ibi Terna Manasseh stated that the members of the TWG put forward by his Ministry, “are experts; we’ve put across academic professionals, practising Estate Surveyors and Valuers with particular interest in Land Acquisition and Compensation as well as the Director in charge of Lands and Housing Development who is the Representative of the Permanent Secretary in this assignment.”
Saying that, “It is hoped that they will bring their knowledge and experience to bear on this assignment in order ensure that the noble objectives of the programme are achieved.”
While Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Labour and Employment who was represented by Mrs. Juliana Adebambo, expressed hope that that the inauguration and the retreat for the TWG members “will set out the guidelines for the successful implementation of the SPESSE project with respect to the Social Standards node” and that the retreat will be beneficial and rewarding to both the participants and the organizers.
The PS went further to state that, “One of the expected outcomes of the Social Standard Node of SPESSE project in Nigeria is the certification of the products of Centres of Excellence and other competent employees as Chartered Social Standard Professional, who will be well grounded in analysing and offering solutions to social risks associated with development and other national projects.”
She stated that her Ministry also wished to identify with the purpose of the retreat which was to sensitize the labour and other stakeholders especially those that will serve as members of the Technical Working Group on the mechanism and processes of implementing the programme in Nigeria.
She revealed that the social partners of the Ministry which include the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Trade Union Congress, TUC and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, were duly represented on the TWG and shall afford the group their wealth of experience in labour management and other related matters.
Adding that, “For us as labour stakeholders, our focus shall be on issues that affect workers and their condition of service as well as employment regulations.
“These will include the following – Occupational health and safety at work; Grievance procedure; Child labour; Forced labour; Compensation management; Labour laws and employment relations, etc.”
Meanwhile, Mrs. R.A Odetoro, the Project Coordinator, Environment node of SPESSE commended the principals of the Social Standards Node, National Project Coordinator and Independent National Facilitation Unit, INFU, the World Bank team as well as the extended SPESSE Project family for their concerted and synergized effort to make the inauguration possible.
