INEC, Nigerian Institute of Management Explore Partnership on Capacity Building
Oru Leonard
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has expressed readiness to strengthen collaboration with the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM), in the area of staff development and capacity building.
The Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, gave the assurance on Wednesday when she received the President and Chairman of Council of the Institute, Commodore Abimbola Olaribigbe Ayuba (Rtd.), and members of his management team on a courtesy visit to the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja.
Mrs. Oriaran-Anthony, who is also a member of the Institute, congratulated the visiting team on the successful hosting of its recent conference in Abuja. She underscored the importance of discipline and professionalism in public service, noting that the Institute had a critical role to play in shaping the ethical and managerial culture of Nigerians.
According to her, “INEC has a staff strength of over 14,000 spread across the 36 states, the Federal Capital Territory, and the 774 Local Government Areas of the country. As an election management body that conducts one of the largest elections in the world, the Commission places a premium on capacity building. We are therefore open to partnership with the Institute to further strengthen our workforce.”
While acknowledging the challenges faced by electoral staff, she praised their resilience and commitment to duty in often difficult circumstances. She assured the delegation that the Commission would “hit the ground running” in fostering a mutually beneficial relationship with the Institute, including exploring the possibility of establishing an INEC chapter of the NIM.
Earlier, Commodore Ayuba explained that the visit was to consolidate relations between both institutions and to explore new areas of cooperation. He disclosed that the Institute, established in 1961 and backed by the NIM Act of 2003, currently has over 230,000 members nationwide and continues to play a pivotal role in building critical manpower for national development.
He said, “Our mission is to develop management capacity at all levels and regulate the practice of management in Nigeria. We recognize INEC as a strategic institution and we are here to seek avenues for collaboration, peer review, and knowledge sharing. We also look forward to seeing more of your staff join the Institute, and hopefully, in the near future, to welcoming you as a fellow of the Institute.”
Both parties agreed that strengthening institutional capacity, discipline, and ethical standards was essential to national growth and pledged to build a new chapter of cooperation beginning with Wednesday’s engagement.
Other members of the NIM delegation included the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, Dr. Taiwo Ganiyat-Olusesi; Council Members, Mrs Christy Adejor; Mal. Ibrahim Anas; Mr. Abayomi Folarin; Mr. Abayomi Anifowose; and Mr. Tayo Badru.
(INEC Media)
