The new minister said having spent between 35 and 40 years working in the government and private sector, he recognises the fact that there are constraints
Nigeria's new Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, has sought the cooperation and support of the staff of the ministry, urging them to be ready to work using the Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for measurement.
Mr Mamman said he works like a bricklayer, noting that the tasks ahead are enormous.
Shortly after their swearing-in on Monday, Mr Mamman and the Minister of State for Education, Yusuf Sununu, visited the ministry to interact with officials.
They were received by the staff of the ministry, heads of parastatals under the ministry, and a delegation from the Baze University, a private university based in Abuja, Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, where Mr Mamman was until his latest appointment, the Vice-Chancellor.
Seeks cooperation
Addressing the staff and heads of education agencies and parastatals, Mr Mamman described the education ministry as being at the heart of Nigeria's potential development.
He admitted that the expectation of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration is huge and promised to deliver on Nigerians' expectations.
"The expectation is huge. It's a lot for this government. Our president is committed fully to turning the tide in this country," he said.
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He, therefore, tasked the civil servants to assist him and Mr Sununu to move the sector forward.
He added that the welfare of the civil servants would be upheld under his watch.
He said, "I work like a bricklayer. How does a bricklayer work? Every day he goes to the site, the foreman gives him 100, 200 blocks to lay for that day. By the end of the day, he wants to see the building come up to a certain level. So in three months, six months, the house is built...We have to measure. We shall be working with KPIs."
The new minister said having spent between 35 and 40 years working in the government and private sector, he recognises the fact that there are constraints, "but I can assure you as best as possible, we will pursue whatever is due to you as civil servants."
"I am a committed welfarist," he declared, adding, "We have to work together. I will emphasise this. I never carry any work on my head. If you have a duty, you have duties. Sometimes you can help your neighbour, your colleague, it's a good thing to do".
About sector inherited
Messers Mamman and Sununu have now inherited the battles left behind by Adamu Adamu and David Opiah, the former minister of education and minister of state for education.
Some of the existing challenges in the sector include the funding of public tertiary institutions, decrepit facilities in schools, a high number of out-of-school children, and unending industrial disputes by workers in tertiary institutions.
Qosim Suleiman is a reporter at Premium Times in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.
