Capacity Building, Engine of Civil Service, Says Hon. Ayodele Akande.

Capacity Building, Engine of Civil Service, Says Hon. Ayodele Akande.

Ondo State Commissioner for Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Hon. Ayodele Akande (FCA).

The Ondo State Commissioner for Water Resources, Public Sanitation and Hygiene, Hon. Ayodele Akande (FCA), has described capacity building as the engine of the civil service, saying it provides workers with the knowledge, understanding and competence required for effective and efficient service delivery.

Akande stated this while declaring open a three-day capacity-building training on Project Monitoring, Evaluation, Adaptation and Learning (MEAL), organised for Monitoring and Evaluation officers of the Ondo State Water Corporation and other participants under the Nigeria Urban Water Sector Reform and Akure Water Supply and Sanitation Project.

Participants in Technical Session.

The training, which was held in Akure, the Ondo State capital, was aimed at strengthening the capacity of participants in project monitoring, evaluation, adaptation and learning.

The commissioner urged the participants to consider themselves fortunate to have benefited from the programme, which he said was designed to equip them with standard professional knowledge and practical skills.

He encouraged them to make maximum use of the knowledge acquired during the training, stressing that the programme was an investment in their future and professional development.

Akande recalled that professionals in the past had to spend their personal resources, including money, energy and time, to acquire relevant training, noting that the beneficiaries were privileged to receive the capacity-building programme free of charge through the support of the Ondo State Government, the management of the Ondo State Water Corporation and the African Development Bank.

The commissioner charged the participants to apply the knowledge gained to their official responsibilities, particularly in monitoring and evaluating projects under their respective departments

The Commissioner also appreciated the Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, for his commitment and support to the water sector, while also commending the management of the African Development Bank for sponsoring the training.

The General Manager of Ondo State Water Corporation, Engr. Omoge Oluwasomi Vincent, also addressed the participants the core values of the training and encouraged them to set high professional standards and maintain strong morals that would enable them to achieve positive results in their careers and loves.

General Manager of Ondo State Water Corporation, Engr. Omoge Oluwasomi Vincent.

Speaking during the programme, the AfDB Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant, Dr. Opeyemi Adejuwan, said the training was designed to build competent M&E officers who could contribute meaningfully to the development of Ondo State.

Adejuwan said the participants were expected to emerge from the training as competent consultants and specialists capable of establishing themselves professionally, even after leaving the civil service.

AfDB Monitoring & Evaluation (M & E) Consultant, Dr. Opeyemi Adejuwan.

He explained that the skills acquired would enable them to offer consultancy services to government agencies and organisations and contribute to the activities of the state across various departments.

“We are trying to build competent M&E officers within Ondo State,” he said.

Also speaking, the AfDB Project Manager, Engr. Kehinde Michael, commended Governor Aiyedatiwa, Commissioner Akande and the management of the AfDB for supporting the training programme.

AfDB Project Manager, Engr. Kehinde Michael.

Michael explained that the programme was designed to improve the capacity of the participants, particularly in adaptation, and prepare them for future tasks and professional responsibilities.

He urged the participants to pay close attention to the training and actively participate in the sessions, describing it as a participatory programme.

He also expressed optimism that the knowledge acquired would contribute to the participants’ professional development and wished them successful careers.

AfDB Procurement Consultant, Engr. Adebola Lawrence.

The AfDB Procurement Consultant, Engr. Adebola Lawrence, urged the participants to be diligent, hardworking and committed to their duties wherever they were assigned to work in the state.

Lawrence also advised them to utilise the knowledge and skills acquired during the training to carry out their responsibilities effectively and efficiently.

Participants Group Photograph.

He stressed the need for the participants to translate the lessons learnt into practical results and maintain professionalism in the discharge of their duties.