144
By Daniel Adaji
The Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) is stepping up efforts to restructure the Niger State Civil Service for more effective and efficient service delivery.
This was disclosed in a document jointly signed on Thursday by Mr Simon Tyungu, Deputy Director, Strategic Development and Planning (SD&P), and Aliyu Umar, Principal Information Officer, Strategic Communications at BPSR.
According to the document obtained by Pointblanknews.com, BPSR is pursuing partnerships with state governments across the country in line with the directive of President Bola Tinubu.
“The objective of the partnership was intended with Mr President’s directive that BPSR should liaise with all the federating units towards the improvement in the service delivery to citizens,” it stated.
Director General of the Bureau, Mr Dasuki Arabi, said the Bureau is ready to partner with Niger State to harness its rich human capital and reposition its civil service for excellence.
“In no distant future, Niger State’s civil service will soon become a model of efficient and quality service delivery. That is if the proposed collaboration and mutual partnership the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR) is seeking with the Niger State Government becomes a reality,” Arabi said.
In a letter to Governor Mohammed Bago, Arabi emphasised the Bureau’s mandate, which includes operationalising the National Strategy for Public Service Reforms (NSPSR), evaluating its implementation, conducting institutional studies and perception surveys, and developing policy briefs to guide government decisions.
He reminded the state that “BPSR is an agency of government charged with the responsibility of initiating action on reforms at the public service level while also coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating the implementation of reforms in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).”
Despite lean budget allocations, the Bureau has made significant strides. Notable among them are a study on ‘waiting time’ in government hospitals, induction programmes for newly appointed board members and chief executives of federal agencies, and the deployment of its Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) in agencies like NEITI, NASC, NCC, and the Universal Basic Education Commission.
“The Bureau has also deployed the Self-Assessment Tool (SAT) as well as the restructuring of the Niger Delta Development Commission, just to mention a few,” the report noted.
In Niger State, a 15-man committee has been inaugurated to spearhead civil service reform, aimed at improving quality service delivery. The initiative is part of a broader collaboration between BPSR and the state, with the hope that the relationship will bring lasting value to the state’s public service.
“This initiative will hopefully result in a mutual and worthwhile relationship for Niger State public service and the entire state,” the document stated.
The collaboration also includes planned studies and assessments such as Niger State Civil Service Reforms; Socio-Economic Profile and Poverty Analysis for Niger State – A Strategic Tool for Inclusive Development Planning; Creating an Enabling Environment for the Informal Sector in Niger State – A Situation Analysis and Post-Disaster Needs Assessment in Niger State.