As part of its efforts to improve work ethics among professionalism, a nongovernmental organization, JAM Initiative, has organised a leadership mentoring programme for Information Officers in government establishments in order to ensure an effective transition and succession in the public service.
The Founder of JAM Initiative, Mrs Josie Mudasiru, who is also an Assistant Director of Information at the Federal Capital Territory Administration, says the idea behind the project was to impart knowledge on the new generation of Information Officers in the system.
“The inspiration for this program started last year when I realized that in a few years from now, some of us will be leaving the public service, and there is the need to pass down the knowledge one has gathered over the years to the newly employed staff of public relations department. This is important so we do not leave a void in the public service when we leave,” Mudasiru said.
She said mentorship is necessary to curb some of the challenges confronting society and also transmit values usually from older persons to younger ones.
Speaking during the programme, Inimfon Etuk, who shared some of the strategies that guarantee success, urged Public Relations Officers and other professionals to identify and emulate mentors in order to build effective succession plans for their organisations.
Etuk, who is also an Executive of the Nigeria Institute Of Public Relations (NIPR), urged the mentees to daily build themselves for higher responsibilities by fueling their desire to want to do more achieve more and emulate mentors.
” Because we don’t succeed alone as individuals, we grow on the shoulders of others, we need to identify those we need for where we are going, those with the skills set that can support our journey to where we want to see ourselves.”
The Acting Director, FCTA Department of Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Dr Jummai Ahmadu, pointed out that mentorship is very important in every segment of society including the public service.
“It’s very important because if you check our society today so many of our values are being eroded, people don’t take their careers serious again because they feel no one will notice whatever input they bring to the workplace. They need people they can really look up to so mentoring should be taken more seriously across all professions.”
The virtual programme which lasted for four months culminated in a face to face meeting where mentees, mostly drawn from various Secretariats, Departments and Agencies of the FCTA, were able to meet their mentors one on one.
Mrs Mudasiru said that even though the program was initially planned for the Information Staff of FCTA, about Seven participants joined from the private sector.
Organisers said the program was expected to continue so many more new employees can also benefit.