.jpg)
By Stella Odueme
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has inaugurated a Joint Management-Union Committee to strengthen dialogue on staff welfare, capacity development, productivity and workplace conditions within the Agency.
Inuwa inaugurated the committee at the closing ceremony of NITDA’s Human Resources Sensitisation Week 2026, saying the initiative was designed to provide a structured channel through which employees could raise concerns and participate in finding solutions to issues affecting them.
According to a statement by the Director of Communication and Media Relations, Hadiza Umar, on Friday , he said the committee would ensure that staff matters were addressed through consultation and transparency rather than on an ad hoc basis.
According to him, effective management must go beyond the enforcement of policies and procedures, stressing that employees remained central to NITDA’s ability to achieve its mandate.
“People are the operating system of the Agency. We want to unlock your potential. We want to make you innovative so that the Agency will achieve its mandate,” he said.
The DG urged the Human Resources Department and management to shift emphasis from merely managing employees to creating an environment that would enable them to develop their potential and make meaningful contributions to the Agency.
He explained that the committee’s mandate would extend beyond training and capacity development to include broader issues concerning staff welfare and workplace conditions.
The development followed concerns raised by employees over the allocation of training opportunities and other benefits. Inuwa said access to training should increasingly reflect performance and contribution rather than rank alone.
He also assured staff that NITDA was addressing concerns over inadequate working tools, noting that the Agency had procured digital equipment and was working towards ensuring that employees had the necessary tools to perform their duties effectively.
The DG added that NITDA had expanded staff development opportunities in recent years, including participation in international training programmes.
He described the engagement between management and employees as a “social contract” in which both parties had responsibilities, urging staff to reciprocate improved welfare with greater commitment, productivity and punctuality.
Inuwa said the Agency would benefit more when employees were provided with the right conditions to develop their capabilities and contribute fully to its objectives.
The Joint Management-Union Committee comprises representatives of management, including the Director of Finance, Director of Human Resources, the DG’s representative and auditors, while the staff union is expected to nominate four representatives.
Earlier, the Director of Human Resource Management, Sarafa Lawal, said the role of human resources had evolved beyond recruitment, personnel administration and staff welfare to become a strategic component of organisational performance.
Lawal said modern HR practices should contribute to organisational capability, culture, performance and sustainability by ensuring that employees understood the Agency’s direction, responsibilities and opportunities for professional growth.
He described employees as strategic assets rather than costs to be managed, stressing that investment in training, professional development, coaching and career advancement should be regarded as investment in institutional capacity.
According to him, human capital development was a shared responsibility involving the HR department, directors, heads of departments and individual employees.
He said while HR was responsible for providing policies, systems, tools and support, managers must provide leadership, coaching and feedback, while employees must take ownership of their responsibilities and performance.
The three-day sensitisation programme featured professional development activities and staff engagement initiatives, including a football competition, a workshop for administrative personnel on the new HR T-Model and an HR Clinic that provided employees with an opportunity to discuss human resource-related concerns.
The closing ceremony was attended by members of the Agency’s top management, heads of departments and unit heads.
Awards were also presented to staff in recognition of outstanding performance, attendance and punctuality, while gifts were presented to the best-dressed employees.
Cleaners, security personnel and other support staff were also recognised for their contributions to the Agency.