Edo trains 2,500 public servants on skills to ‘accelerate’ government reforms

Imuwahen Ajoonu, director-general of the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), says 2,500 public servants have been trained on good governance skills to increase efficiency and productivity in Edo.

Ajoonu said it was part of the government’s vision to improve quality service delivery in governance.

The Edo government had established JOOPSA to train civil servants to deliver high-value services to citizens and accelerate governance reforms.

In March, Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, approved training for 10,000 public servants in the state.

“To ensure that this ‘engine’ functions as it should and close existing skills gaps, the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) set out to train 10,000 workers in 2023 as approved by the governor,” Ajoonu said on Wednesday while speaking on the progress of the initiative.

“So far, the academy has trained 2,500 workers and is on track to meet its 10,000 targets. JOOPSA aims to strengthen the public service institution through capacity building.”

She said the training promotes development in public service, adding that the work environment is becoming more complex due to the advancement of technology.

“Since training started in March, the John Odigie-Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA) has focused on foundational courses such as the fundamentals of project management, introduction to public policy development, commercial acumen, professional etiquette, customer service, data analysis and interpretation, strategic communications, negotiation, and conflict management,” Ajoonu said.

“The thinking is to ensure that civil/public servants possess both technical and soft skills needed to thrive in the world of work. Centralising and running training programmes in Benin city allowed for over 70 percent cost savings for government. Travel costs have significantly reduced, allowing for better monitoring and evaluation of all training interventions.

“JOOPSA works with the best global subject matter experts to achieve its aim. The changing global economy, technology, politics, and increased expectations for government performance demand new attention to the complex set of public skills and capacity.”