The Delta State Government has commenced a fresh capacity-building initiative for senior civil servants as part of efforts to strengthen the administrative machinery of government and equip future managers with the skills required to effectively drive public-sector reforms and deliver better services to citizens.
The initiative, which is being implemented in collaboration with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), is the 22nd Edition of the Seven-Weekend Higher Management Course for Senior Management Staff of the Delta State Civil Service.
The training programme, which commenced on Friday in Asaba, is targeted at senior officers preparing for advancement into the Directorate Cadre and is designed to expose participants to contemporary management techniques, leadership skills and global best practices in public administration.
Declaring the programme open, the Delta State Head of Service, Dr. (Mrs.) Mininim Oseji, said the training was critical to preparing senior officers for the increasing responsibilities associated with higher positions in the civil service.
According to her, the programme would equip participants with the requisite knowledge, skills and management techniques needed to provide efficient and people-oriented services while ensuring that their conduct and performance remained consistent with the demands of a modern public service.
She said the civil and public service remained fundamentally service-oriented, with the responsibility of translating government policies into programmes and actions capable of improving the living standards of the people.
“There is no gainsaying that the civil and public service is truly service-oriented and aimed at improving the living standards of the people through policy formation and implementation.
“Hence, the Seven-Weekend Senior Management Course Training Programme is designed to equip and prepare officers going to the Directorate Cadre with the requisite knowledge, skills and management techniques to regularly provide service to the people,” Oseji said.
The Head of Service stressed the importance of continuous professional development, particularly for officers progressing beyond Salary Grade Level 14, charging participants to take the training seriously and apply the knowledge acquired to the effective administration of their respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
She urged the participants to be innovative, committed and disciplined in the discharge of their responsibilities, warning against indiscipline, insubordination and other conducts capable of undermining the integrity of the civil service.
Oseji disclosed that the state government had also introduced measures to ensure that knowledge acquired by participants would be cascaded to other officers within their respective MDAs.
She explained that the initiative was intended to ensure that officers who had not had the opportunity to participate in the training would also benefit from the knowledge and skills acquired by their colleagues.
The Head of Service said the state government’s investment in human capital development was complemented by several welfare initiatives introduced by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, including the payment of the 13th-month salary, provision of accommodation for permanent secretaries and the ongoing construction of housing units for civil servants.
She expressed appreciation to the governor for his continued support for the state civil service and his commitment to improving the welfare and professional capacity of workers.
Earlier, the Director-General of ASCON, Mrs. Funke Adepoju, PhD, described the commencement of the 22nd edition as another milestone in the enduring partnership between ASCON and the Delta State Government.
Adepoju, who was represented at the ceremony by the Deputy Director of Studies and Head of the Public Administration Studies Department of ASCON, Mrs. Senami Akran, commended Governor Oborevwori for what she described as his visionary leadership and strong commitment to human capital development.
She said the Delta State Civil Service had continued to evolve towards greater professionalism, responsiveness and results orientation under the present administration.
According to her, the training programme had been deliberately aligned with the strategic direction of the Delta State Government as encapsulated in its MORE Agenda—Meaningful Development, Opportunities for All, Realistic Reforms, and Enhanced Peace and Security.
She said the programme was designed to produce senior managers capable of translating government priorities into tangible development outcomes, creating opportunities through effective administration, driving sustainable reforms and contributing to peace, security and social cohesion.
Adepoju also said the curriculum was anchored on ASCON’s RISE Model—Reform, Inspired Leadership, Systems and Execution, which, she explained, reflects the institution’s conviction that sustainable public-sector transformation requires more than theoretical knowledge.
She said it required leaders capable of driving reforms, inspiring people, strengthening institutional systems and executing policies and programmes in ways that produce measurable results.
According to her, the convergence of the Delta State Government’s MORE Agenda and ASCON’s RISE Model had given the training programme a strong strategic orientation.
“It connects Delta State’s development aspirations with the managerial competencies required to implement them. Our objective is not merely to produce better-trained officers, but to develop senior managers who can become effective drivers of the State’s transformation agenda,” she said.
The ASCON Director-General said the seven-weekend programme would combine intensive lectures with practical performance assessments to ensure that participants were able to apply the knowledge acquired to real administrative and managerial challenges confronting their MDAs.
She listed the objectives of the programme to include strengthening managerial competencies for effective decision-making and organisational performance; developing leaders capable of driving reform, innovation, accountability and ethical service delivery; enhancing participants’ capacity to translate government policies into measurable results; strengthening institutional systems and processes; and bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application.
Adepoju said the curriculum would expose participants to contemporary issues including governance and public-sector reforms, strategic management, leadership, organisational effectiveness, performance improvement, human resource development, administrative systems, ethics and accountability, change management, strategic communication and citizens’ engagement.
She emphasised that the subjects were not merely academic, but practical competencies required by senior public managers who must lead institutions, manage human and material resources, solve complex administrative problems and implement government policies effectively.
The ASCON boss charged the participants to see the training as an opportunity to renew their commitment to public service, challenge established practices, strengthen their leadership capacity and acquire practical tools for improving performance.
She also disclosed that participants would undertake an examination at the end of the programme to assess their understanding and application of the knowledge and skills acquired.
Adepoju expressed ASCON’s appreciation to Governor Oborevwori for his continued support for capacity building and institutional strengthening, while commending the Head of Service, ASCON faculty, Delta State Staff Training Centre and other stakeholders for their contributions to the success of the programme.
She said the ultimate objective was to build a civil service that was “reformed, inspired, system-driven and execution-focused” and capable of translating the MORE Agenda into meaningful and measurable development outcomes.
The programme, she added, represented another step towards building a competent, ethical, innovative, resilient and results-oriented civil service capable of advancing the transformation of Delta State and contributing meaningfully to national development.