Centre advocates productivity sharing system to boost national development 

The National Productivity Centre (NPC) has urged the Federal Government to introduce Productivity Gain Sharing (PGS) and Productivity Linked Wage System (PLWS) and tackle the casual labour syndrome to boost workers’ outputs. 

The Director General of the Centre, Dr. Kashim Akor, who advocated this at a workshop in Abuja, recently, said Nigeria’s productivity growth rate was low in comparison with other developing nations such as South Africa and Botswana.

While stressing the need for workers to increase their productivity to enhance national development, Akor said Nigeria, as a country, must embrace knowledge economy as the only option available to navigate the nation out of the present economic situation. 

He maintained that productivity should be given a pride of place in the polity where workplaces are organised for proper work for value added activities to thrive.

He argued that productivity remains the major determinant of rapid economic growth and development the world over, saying: “Whatever sector it may be, productivity is a fundamental factor that enables societies to generate employment and create wealth through the efficient and effective utilisation of available human and material resources. It improves the economy and contributes towards the prosperity of the people, which in turn translates to higher standard of living and improved quality of life. This cognisance made successive governments in the past to initiate series of intervention programmes that will make productivity thrive in Nigeria.”

The NPC boss highlighted that greater understanding of productivity by industry players, civil servants and the business community would lead to speedy economic growth. 

He hinted that the Centre was created to stimulate productivity consciousness, determining productivity levels, monitoring productivity trends, promoting and leading the productivity movement in the country towards the attainment of higher levels of productivity in all sectors of the economy with the aim of enhancing the living standards of the people. 

Akor added that as the apex productivity organisation in Nigeria, the Centre clearly occupies a strategic position in driving socio-economic growth and development in both the private and public sectors of the economy. 

“A key area of intervention is to promote the application and adoption of cutting-edge productivity improvement tools and techniques, and equip the workforce with the needed tools for productivity enhancement. The extent to which this mandate is accomplished largely depends on everyone of you seated here as programme officers of the Centre. It is our desire to build a community of knowledge-driven productivity practitioners that will provide solutions to productivity related problems.”

He stressed that in pursuit of its mandate, the Centre was poised to drive productivity improvement initiatives that would result in improved quality and quantity of goods and services produced.

He revealed that the management of the Centre would certify some of the participants as productivity consultants after the completion of the Advanced Course for Productivity Practitioners.

Also speaking at a workshop on enhancing organisational performance through productivity improvement technics, Director, Productivity Capacity Building department of the Centre, Dr. Titilola Oshati, stated that the Centre embarks on constant training of its staff with a view to transforming the work culture of workers while repositioning organisations for higher performances.