The Executive Secretary of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, has said that for any organization to effectively implement its programmes and projects, its managers should be involved in the conception of such projects.
Ayakoroma, who disclosed this on Monday, January 28, 2013, at the opening ceremony of a 2-day Management Retreat, organized by the Institute at the Pauliham Hotels & Resort, Gwarimpa Estate, Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on the theme, “Mainstreaming Culture in the Transformation Agenda: The NICO Perspective,” said it was easier to actualize key programmes when managers are part of the process of crafting action plans.
According to him, the sustenance of NICO’s tradition of an Annual Management Retreat has continued to be encouraged by the successes of past editions from which Management Staff have continued to exhibit high level of commitment towards achieving the Institute’s action plan for improved job performance.
He maintained that the NICO Management Retreat, which was initiated in 2011, as a platform, for Management Staff to meet yearly and critically appraise the Institute’s statutory mandate, as well as fashion a roadmap for achieving its vision, has continued to provide a unique opportunity for impact assessment of key programmes, evaluation of implementation strategies, identification of sources of funding and consideration of collaboration and partnership options.
As it is the tradition with the Institute, experts were assembled from diverse but culture-related fields, who presented thought-provoking papers, providing an avenue for exhaustive deliberations by Management Staff.
Papers presented include, “The Place of ICT in Organizational Management: The NICO Perspective,” by Professor Cyprian Mgbachi (Department of Computer Engineering, Enugu State University,” “Leadership by Objectives: Motivating Staff for Organizational Achievement,” by Dr. Clement Ikenna Okeke (Associate Professor of Management Sciences, National Open University, Lagos), “Mainstreaming Intangible Cultural Heritage Programmes for Cultural Development: Setting an Agenda for NICO,” by Augustus Ajibola (Deputy Director of Culture, Federal Ministry of Tourism, Culture and National Orientation), “Effective Media Relations in the Public Service: Leverag
ing on the Media
to Make NICO Relevant at the Zonal Level,” by Jahman Anikulapo (Former Editor, The Guardian on Sunday, Lagos), and “Sponsorship and Events Marketing in the Public Sector: Strategies and Benefits for NICO,” by Elisha Attai (Founder, African Women in Leadership Organization).
Management Staff present at the Retreat were Barr. Abayomi Oyelola, mni (Director, Administration & Human Resources), Mr. Festus Ihenetu (Director Orientation & Cultural Affairs), Mr. Godson Ordu (Director Finance & Accounts), Prince Bamidele Olusa (Director Training School), Mr. Louis Eriomala (Director Research & Documentation), Mr. Nelson Ebi Campbell (Deputy Director/SA to the ES), Mr. Alex Omijie (Deputy Director, Protocol), as well as all the Coordinators of the Institute’s zonal offices across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. It will be recalled that the maiden edition of the NICO Management Retreat was organized on January 6th-7th, 2011, in Kaduna State had as theme, “Strategizing for a Better NICO in 2011,” while the second edition with the theme, “Consolidating the Gains of the Past: Taking NICO to the Next Level,” took place in Owerri, from 2nd-4th February, 2012.
Caleb Nor
Corporate Affairs