For three days, employees of the Office of the Executive Director, Corporate Services, and the Corporate Governance and Due Process Department of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), converged in Lagos for a capacity-building retreat and masterclass on accountability, integrity, and regulatory compliance to enable the commission deliver on its mandate in the region.
At the event, themed: “Innovating Corporate Services for Impact,” the Executive Director, Corporate Services, NDDC, Ifedayo Abegunde, in his opening address, said the theme reflects a necessary shift in the commission’s operational mindset.
Abegunde noted that the retreat would enable the commission to embed a performance-driven culture, streamline internal processes for transparency, and adopt smarter innovations to meet the rising expectations of the public.
Also speaking on ‘Regulatory and Compliance Trends, Ethics, and Risks in Public Service’, a lecturer in Public Administration at Lagos State University, Oladimeji Ashade, lamented that non-compliance with ethical standards has been a bane to public service in Nigeria.
He stressed that Nigeria risks setbacks in governance and development if public servants do not uphold ethical conduct.
“It is very germane that they promote regulatory compliance and work in line with the rules. The laws are there, but most times we circumvent them due to what is in vogue, and everyone wants the get-rich-quick syndrome,” he added.
He recommended that awareness efforts should use creative communication tools such as drama, art and community forums to promote values of integrity and accountability.
“The future of Nigeria’s public service will not be defined by the brilliance of our policies alone, but by the character of those who implement them. Every time a public servant chooses integrity over corruption, accountability over impunity and service over self-interest, the nation takes a step forward,” Ashade concluded.
Another speaker, the Managing Partner of The Impeccable Skills Company, Seyi Olulade, in her presentation titled: “Innovating Corporate Services for Impact: Building a Regenerative Legacy,” advised the commission personnel to lead, work and care differently in order to build ensuring institutions.
“We must simplify processes, introduce technology, and focus on people at the centre of operations. The key is to lead different, work different, and care different,” Olulade said.