Lagos State Head of Service (HoS), Bode Agoro has charged Directors of Administration and Human Resource in the public service to make effort to build succession plan in order to address leadership gap in the public sector.
Agoro spoke while declaring open a three-day Retreat for Directors of Administration and Human Resource held in Epe area of Lagos.
Agoro emphasised the critical need for effective leadership and talent management within the state’s administrative framework.
He said the retreat served as an opportunity to discuss ongoing challenges and explore innovative solutions aimed at enhancing service delivery across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
He articulated the retreat’s theme, “Leadership Development and Succession Planning: Ensuring a Robust Talent Management for Effective Service Delivery,” as a vital discourse aimed at addressing the evident leadership gap in the public sector.
Agoro stated that “leadership development helps expand individuals’ capacities to perform in leadership roles, facilitating the execution of organizational strategies.”
He urged directors to cultivate leadership within themselves to better nurture potential leaders among their teams, stressing that proactive and competent leaders were essential to meet the increasing demands placed on the Public Service.
The Head of Service noted that leadership development extended beyond traditional training, advocating for a culture of talent management that identified and prepared future leaders for upcoming challenges.
He explained that “this strategy would positively impact our Succession Planning process and ensure sustainable effective service delivery in the long run.”
Agoro encouraged department heads to exemplify ethical behaviour and uphold the values of the State Public Service, fostering an environment where younger officers could emulate positive leadership traits that would ease the succession planning process.
Highlighting the agenda for the retreat, Agoro expressed confidence in the interactive sessions led by experienced facilitators.
He urged participants to engage fully and share insights from their respective MDAs, taking advantage of the networking opportunities presented.
Agoro indicated that the government was continually looking for ways to improve the welfare and well-being of public servants and planned to announce further developments in due course.
He said discussions had been opened with the Nigerian Social Insurance Trust Fund to key into the Employee Compensation Scheme, which offered numerous benefits for public servants, including death benefits, disability benefits, among others.
In her welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the Public Service Office, Mrs. Sunkanmi Oyegbola admonished all the Directors of Administration and Human Resource in the Lagos State Public Service to lead by example and implored them to have succession plans in place at their respective MDAs for those who would take over upon their retirement.
No fewer than 75 Directors of Administration and Human Resource participated in the retreat held in Epe.