The Lagos State Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions (METPs), Mrs. Ajibola Ponnle has said that the online training sessions (webinar series) recently launched by the State Government, currently in its third series, is an affirmation of its disposition to capacity development and growth mindset of the workforce.
Speaking during the third session in the series of the online training held today, Ponnle stated that despite the fact that “growth mindset” has become a cliché within the State Public Service, the eye-opening presentations from the various Resource Persons further exposed the participants to the expectations and pre-requisites for a growth mindset among staff.
In her words, “For a fact, growth mindset is not new in Alausa, it has even become a cliché. Beyond that, this training has further made it clearer and more real. We now know that a true leader is identified not just by the position he or she occupies but by innovativeness and problem-solving abilities”.
Mrs. Ponnle emphasised that the whole essence of the programme tagged “The Resilient Leader” (We are all Leaders), was to expand the horizons of all public servants and make them approach issues from a very informed point of view.
She explained that the webinar series, with 1580 registered participants is an attempt to keep the workforce, that is not on the frontline of the COVID-19 initiatives, engaged in learning and capacity development while at home.
“The initiative will deepen the State’s information-sharing capabilities with the creation of a platform to enhance the knowledge of Public Servants. This is the first phase of the online learning solution being implemented for Lagos State Public Service by the Ministry of Establishments, Training and Pensions”, the Commissioner asserted.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Establishments and Training, Mr. Biodun Bamgboye, spoke on the peculiarity of the Webinar series 3, noting that the current series of the training programme cuts across all public officers in the State, regardless of their Grade Levels and designations, including the EXCO members and Permanent Secretaries.
The development, according to him, will engender uniformity of thought and purpose between the highly placed individuals in the public service and the very junior staff, such that having been exposed to the same training, individuals would be able to identify with areas that address their specific needs.
Bamgboye maintained that the online training shows that the State Government is positively disposed to changes as well as the application of new trends in governance to meet the needs of the populace.
While acknowledging the steady increase in the number of participants for the online training sessions from its maiden edition with 73 participants and 721 for the second edition, Bamgboye observed that more people were attracted to join the current session of online training in view of its immense benefits.
Some of the resource persons and facilitators of the webinar series included Mr. Tunde Falase, CEO of BrainCraft and former Human Resource Director Cadbury and Diageo; Dr. Akin Oparison, Adjunct Professor at Lagos Business School and former Human Resource Director, Shell Africa and British American Tobacco, and Mr. Usen Udoh, Group Human Resource Director Dangote.
Others are Mrs. Bunmi Kuku and Mrs. Lola Esan, Partners in Ernst & Young; Dr. Joe Abbah, Country Director, DAI and former Head, Bureau of Public Sector Reform; Mr. Joseph Olofinsola, Partner, Deloitte; Mrs. Bunmi Fabamwo Chairman, Civil Service Commission and Mrs. Titi Akisanya, Vice President, Chartered Institute of Personnel Management.
AG/TMS/OS
