The Chairman, Governing Board of the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Alhaji Ibrahim Isma’il, has pledged, on behalf of members of the Board, to work in harmony with the leadership of the Institute, saying the Board hopes to give the leadership the kind of impetus that will enable the Institute to achieve greater heights.
Alhaji Ibrahim, who made this pledge during a facility visit to the head office of the Institute in Abuja, noted that the visit was to enable him have an interactive session with management and staff and that he had seen that the Institute, under the leadership of Executive Secretary, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma and his management team, had done a lot of work to give the culture sector serious attention.
Expressing optimism that he believed the management was even more poised to do a lot more, the chairman the Governing Board will be endeavour to give the Institute enough impetus and support to continue forging ahead.
His words: “I have seen the great work done here as led by the Executive Secretary. I really hope that with your guidance and the wisdom of the ES and the directors here and the rest of the staff, you will be able to guide the Governing Board properly to help in really performing the duties in the interest of the staff and the country as a whole.”
Continuing, he said: “I am very happy to be here and I think here, I have observed that although you are in a compacted place, it seems there is very good synergy between the staff and amongst all of you. I have observed that most of the workers are on their desks and they are working. They don’t seem to be working, they are working. I also I think you need space because a work environment is key to productivity of staff and I really hope that with the ES and the rest of the Governing Board members, we will be able to really set for ourselves, an agenda for charting a way forward.”
Further expressing delight to have been in the Institute, the Board Chairman appreciated the warm reception given him and prayed for its sustenance, saying, “I am quite impressed with what I have seen here and I look forward to a very cordial working relationship with all of you. We are not here to delve into the day to day running of the Institute, but we are here to see how policies will be formulated and maybe we take it up.”
Earlier in a brief presentation to formally welcome the Board Chairman to the Institute’s head office, the Executive Secretary, Dr. Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, gave an overview of NICO, its mandate, vision, administrative structure, and NICO Training School, just as he highlighted few of the Institute’s programmes and activities.
He also highlighted some of the challenges militating against the smooth running of the Institute including the office accommodation for the head office which he said is currently rented, the issue of lecture halls for the Nigerian Indigenous Language Programme, utility vehicles, opening of a state office in the South-South zone, capacity building for staff at the headquarters and zonal offices, and the participation of federal and state MDAs in the Institute’s training programmes.
Concluding, the optimistic ES said, “We are saying that together we can take the culture and tourism sector to higher heights and we believe that culture can indeed become the highest revenue earner comparable to oil in the nearest further.”
In a vote of thanks, the Director of Administration and Human Resources, Barr. Abayomi Oyelola, mni, appreciated the board chairman for the visit, saying, “we feel you have come to play your role as a father, brother, uncle and as board chairman and with the spirit you have displayed here today, we are sure that this peaceful coexistence that has been the hallmark of NICO, since Dr. Barclays Ayakoroma came into office, will continue in more giant momentum with your coming and other members of the board.”
Present at the occasion were the Director, Research and Documentation, Prince Bamidele Olusa; Director, Finance and Accounts, Elder Godson Ordu; Acting Director, Office of the ES, Mr. Nelson Ebi Campbell; Acting Director, Orientation and Cultural Affairs, Mr. Alex Omijie; and the Asst. Director, Legal Unit, Barr. Musa Kakamba, among others.
Caleb Nor
Corporate Affair
NICO, Abuja