The Executive Secretary of National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Associate Professor Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, has charged staffers of the Institute to change their story in NICO by preparing themselves for greatness.

Prof. Ayakoroma stated this on Friday, 23rd September, 2016, at the office complex of NICO South-South Zonal Office located at No. 51, Mgbi Road, Amarata-Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during a one-day working visit to the zone.  

Going down memory lane, the NICO boss recalled his days at Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture, which had served as a stepping stone to his present appointment as the Executive Secretary/CEO of NICO.

He charged the officers to be active, hardworking, dedicated, diligent and, above all, develop their intellectual capacities as no one knows tomorrow, adding that they should not see the Institute as their last bus stop but rather a stepping stone to greater heights in their careers.

The ES also advised staffers to tell ‘the NICO Story’ to their friends, neighbours and social groups, informing such persons about the Institute’s programmes and talking them into participating in its programmes.

According to him, it is possible for the South-South Zonal Office to collaborate with the local television and radio stations in the Bayelsa State to talk about culture on air, giving an example with the “Ajuwaya Radio” programme featuring National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members.

He further charged staffers to work collectively as a team and collaborate with other sister agencies in the state to make the South-South Zonal Office an exemplary, one using NICO Enugu State Office as a paradigm of one of the Institute’s offices that is excellently doing well in the implementation of NICO programmes.

niss1On efforts at affiliating NICO Training School with Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Prof. Ayakoroma disclosed that the process has started yielding positive results as holders of the Training School’s PGDCA would be admitted for proposed Masters in Cultural Administration and Heritage Studies programme in the University, adding that plans have also reached advanced stage with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to approve the Training School curriculum for the National Diploma and Higher Diploma programmes.

He therefore enjoined the zonal office to create a Training School Unit that will be solely devoted to marketing the Training School programmes as well as seeking for candidates for admission into NICO Training School from the zone.

On the 2016 promotion exercise, the ES assured that the result will be released soon, informing that the Admin and

Human Resources Department has been handling it, liaising with the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation to mainstream the promotions, noting that everything has been in the interest of the staff.

Responding on behalf of members of staff of NICO South-South, the Director/Zonal Coordinator, Mr. Nelson Ebi Campbell, expressed appreciation for the Executive Secretary’s visit and commended the NICO Chief Executive for always working towards taking the Institute to the next level, even as he assured him of the zone’s commitment and loyalty to his leadership.

Egiobu Rex-Ogbuku, Esther Ziprekumor & Ifeoma Oputa

Corporate Affairs

NSSZ, Yenagoa, Bayelsa State