By Polycarp Auta
Prof. Ayo Omotayo, the Director-General, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, near Jos, has advised policy makers to adopt the rich recommendations the institute churns out yearly to address the myriad of challenges on Nigeria.
Omotayo made the call while addressing newsmen on Friday in Jos.
He said the institute has developed practical strategies that could place the nation on the path of speedy growth and development.
”In our library and archives, we have a very rich rapporteur of solutions and practical strategies that can change the face of Nigeria.
”The Senior Executive Course (SEC) have always been well branded and our staff have always been dedicated to their duties, but one major thing have found is poor visibility of the institute at national dialogues; there have been poor policy offtakers.
”I mean when Federal Government send very high level individuals here for reflection and research and they come up with solutions to some of our national problems, we expect that they should be adopted and used by critical stakeholders
”But we see that these solutions rarely get out to where they should be and this is a major challenge,”he said.
Omotayo, promised to put proper modalities in place toward ensuring that the institute gets adequate visibility that would enable Nigerians to see and use what comes out from it.
”For me visibility is very key and so we are trying to reposition NIPPS and put it on the right pedestal so that whatever action or our activities should be see by the Nigerian public.
”In that regard, we have visited key stakeholders in this country to let them know that NIPSS still exist and we have a lot to offer.
”We will continue to push so that everybody particularly policy makers will know that our relevance is not subsumed under any guise.
”We went Nigerians to know what NIPSS is set out to do and seen to be doing those things,”he explained
The director-general promised to improve on the physical facilities at the institute in order to attract foreign researchers and even donor agencies that would support its activities.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NIPSS will be graduatiing SEC 44 on Dec. 3.
NAN reports that the cermeony was earlier billed for Nov. 26 but was shifted to the new date due to unforseen circumstances.
On Dec. 1, there will be a presidential parley where the partipants will present the outcome of their studies here for the past one year to the President
NAN reports that in the last 45 years of NIPSS existence, this would be fthe first time a female attended as Monitor General.
‘AIG Aishatu Baju, is the monitor general while Mrs Mini Oke-Uche is the Deputy Monitor General.(NAN)
