No fewer than one hundred participants drawn from the civil/public service have undergone a week-long capacity-building training at the prestigious Nexford University, which is accredited by the United States of America, in the past week.
The training which is geared towards equipping participants with the different communication skills used in business settings, expanding their capacity to direct, inspire, and empower teams through effective communication, also had the motive of enshrining in the participants that by adapting communication styles, leaders and managers can create dynamic environments that influence collaboration, engagement, and productivity across departments and teams.
Addressing the participants during the onboarding course, Imuwahen Ajoonu, Director General of the John Odigie Oyegun Public Service Academy (JOOPSA), while congratulating the participants on their nomination, assured them that they would learn a great deal. She emphasized that JOOPSA is known for excellence and quality, hence, the participants should be excited at the journey they are about to embark upon.
According to Imuwahen, “You are the pioneers, congratulations to all of you carefully nominated people. You are to ensure that this experience goes as it should. Be excited as you should because, if you are familiar with what we do at JOOPSA, it is usually of great quality.”
The Director General further highlighted the benefits of the training to the participants while also making known that Edo State Government is excited about the JOOPSA – Nexus partnership; “We want it to work, we want to be able to train and up-skill using this model. Imagine that we will be able to democratize learning in the service. Picture a scenario where officers can be at the various Local Government Areas and link with the government’s initiatives and digital transformations by WIFI.
“A world where everyone can learn irrespective of their location. The possibilities are legion and it is exciting to note that ten years down the line when some of you become permanent secretaries, you can look back and proudly say that you were part of the JOOPSA-NEXUS pilot”, she added.
The Partnerships Manager, Nexford University, Victory Mesona, also made known during the onboarding that it had been months of working behind the scene to get this partnership kickstarted. She said, “We are excited about this pilot. A lot lies on the shoulders of the one hundred persons nominated to ensure that the partnership succeeds.”
She further appealed to the participants to give in their best efforts, encouraging them to ask lots of questions so as to provide sufficient data to reflect on the partnership.
The week-long course featured Modules such as: Written and Verbal Business Communication; Business Communication Genres; Audience – centered Communication; Conversing, Presenting, and Listening; Persuasion, and Negotiation, as well as a live session with the United States based Professor, Prof. Olufunke Akiyode. It also featured automated and manually assessed assignments to verify competency.
Amidst excitement from participants, Gina Otamere, one of the participants who has been certified as an ‘Effective Business Communicator’ by Nexus University, said; “I have completed the Course and received my Badge via my email. I want to thank Edo State Government for providing the enabling platform through JOOPSA, and Nexford for creating this learning opportunity and more. The wealth of knowledge and experience gained during the study was tremendous. I must also acknowledge our digital Head of Service for driving the process and encouraging everyone in the course. DG JOOPSA and Team, thank you for the JOOPSA experience!”
