Directors of Administration and Human Resources Officers from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Lagos State have lauded Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for approving a comprehensive two-week capacity building workshop aimed at repositioning public service delivery in the state.
The workshop, holding at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Topo-Badagry, has drawn 120 senior officials across the state’s public service cadre under the theme: “Retooling for Excellence: The Strategic Role of Administration and Human Resources Management as a Catalyst for Public Sector Performance.”
Speaking on the impact of the training so far, Dr. Busola Odedina, Director of Administration, Lagos State Council for Arts and Culture, described the initiative as timely and transformational.
“We’ve been here for the past four days to learn. It’s a way of improving the general administrative capacity of directors in Lagos State, enabling us to deliver better services to the people we are meant to serve,” she said.
“It has been a wonderful and rebranded experience at ASCON. The facilities are a lot better than before—there’s real change. I want to implore other officers to seize opportunities like this,” Odedina added.
Also speaking, Mr. Niyi Oladipupo, Director of Department of Directorate and Human Resources, described the programme as impactful from the very first day.
“This training has been wow from day one. As directors of D and HR, we are the engine room. What they have given us so far has been excellent—spot-on—and we appreciate all the instructors,” he said.
Oladipupo, who is attending training at ASCON for the first time, also commended the environment.
“It’s very serene and wonderful. The hospitality of the instructors has also been perfect,” he stated.
In the same vein, Mrs. Ekisola Ibukun Bolanle, Director of Cabinet Affairs, expressed appreciation to the State Government, Governor Sanwo-Olu, Deputy Governor Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and the Head of Service, Mr. Bode Agoro, for investing in human capital development.
“The experience has been refreshing and exhilarating. We’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with colleagues, to network, to unlearn and relearn. Everyone here has gained something substantial that will influence service delivery in their various ministries,” she said.
Ekisola also emphasized the vision behind the initiative:
“It is one thing to see a deficiency, and another to be bold enough to address it. Governor Sanwo-Olu is committed to equipping people and encouraging knowledge acquisition in Lagos State. He knows what it takes, and the service is better for it,” she remarked.
She concluded with a collective vote of thanks:
“On behalf of all the participants, I want to say thank you. God will continue to move Lagos higher to achieve a Greater Lagos that is rising like a phoenix.”
The workshop, which has featured top-tier facilitators and public service experts, including virtual international sessions, is expected to run for two weeks, with a focus on performance, innovation, and strategic human resource management.
Meanwhile, the participants also praised the Director-General of ASCON, Mrs. Funke Adepoju, for transforming the college into a modern, forward-looking institution. They described her leadership as “energetic, dynamic and reform-driven.”
The workshop is being coordinated by the Office of the Head of Service in collaboration with ASCON, as part of ongoing efforts to enhance the professionalism and productivity of the Lagos State civil service.
