By Aluta News
Nov. 21, 2023
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Tajudeen Abbas, has reiterated the need for Nigerians to be educated on development administration in the country.
Abbas said this at the inauguration of the governing council, and induction of members of the Chartered Institute of Development Studies of Nigeria (CIDSAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Speaking on the topic, `The Imperatives of Development Administration in a Prismatic Society,’ Abbas said the topic was an area of great concern to him.
The speaker said the importance of Development Studies and Administration could not be over-emphasised.
He said the main goals of development administration include creating a better social, political and economic environment relating to socio-economic change and nation-building.
Abbas said that the practice of development administration was a major condition for the attainment of effective, and efficient development projects in any developing society.
According to him, development projects play a pivotal role in the growth and progress of nations, serving as catalysts for economic development, social advancement and environmental sustainability.
“They hold the promise of addressing pressing societal issues from poverty alleviation to infrastructure development and have the potential to improve the lives of millions of people globally.
“However, the success of these projects is contingent upon meticulous planning, effective implementation, rigorous monitoring and comprehensive evaluation.
“In today’s global landscape, where resources are limited and the stakes are high, ensuring that development projects achieve their intended objectives has never been more critical,’’ he said.
Abbas said that development administration focuses on the outcomes of the administrative work as it’s related to the nation’s development.
He said that it was unfortunate and regrettably that the needed professionals or experts in development administration was lacking in the Nigerian developmental space.
“It is targeted at understanding and addressing the challenges of development and promotes sustainable growth and improvements in societies.
“It is rather true that poor management of our development efforts in Nigeria since independence can be traced to other factors.
“These include a paucity of professionally equipped development experts that can facilitate the nation’s development journey by properly articulating adequate policy formulation.
“Programmes and projects implementation and interventions in a very structured manner to guarantee the socio-cultural, socio-economic, socio-political transformation of Nigeria in all ramifications,’’ he said.
He expressed delight in associating with CIDSAN whose activities he said aimed at assuring that there was a great potential in it.
Mr Elijah Ogbuokiri, the president of CIDSAN, said the institute, which was established by an Act of Parliament in May 2023, was a professional organisation formed by seasoned professionals.
Ogbuokiri said the members had strong multi-disciplinary backgrounds with the aim of promoting, and advancing the study and practice of Development Management and Development Administration in Nigeria.
He said that members of the institute were called to serve and be part of building the institute, and render selfless service for the growth and wellbeing of the institute and nation.
The president called for support and experience to position CIDSAN and the development profession in Nigeria, and beyond for greater relevance in national discourse, public policy and advocacy.
NAN