The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Dabban Adamu has emphasized the significance of adequate and constant funding, saying it will foster service delivery.
Adamu spoke when he played host to SERVICOM officials in Abuja.
According to the Executive Secretary, the meeting was timely, even as he emphasized the importance of SERVICOM in achieving 100% service delivery across all sectors.
He however stressed that adequate funding is necessary to unlock the agency’s full potential.
“The meeting is timely. The SERVICOM meeting has not been held because of funding. We are coming out to demand adequate and constant funding to enable us to do what we couldn’t do before.
“SERVICOM is very key to every sector. For us to achieve 100% service delivery, we need to fund the SERVICOM for maximum output.”
Adamu, restated the Council’s commitment to stronger collaboration with SERVICOM to enhance service delivery within Nigeria’s agricultural research system.
He said SERVICOM plays a crucial role in improving public service efficiency, noting that the Council remains open to stronger partnerships that will support its mandate.
He expressed optimism that deliberations at the meeting would lead to more productive outcomes.
Also speaking, the Director Reform, Coordination Service Improvement and Innovation, Federal Ministry of Agriculture & Food Security, Udoh Effik, commended ARCN for hosting the previous focal officers’ meeting, which he described as impactful and result-oriented.
Effik explained that government agencies report to different oversight bodies depending on their operational focus.
According to him, agencies report on reforms to the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), on service delivery to SERVICOM, and on innovation to the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation.
He said these offices rely on quarterly reports submitted through the supervising ministries.
He noted that the quarterly review meeting is designed to promote best practices, assess progress, and provide a platform for agencies to share success stories and challenges.
The aim, he said, was to collectively strengthen service delivery in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, especially the administration’s focus on food security.
Effik added that many agencies are grappling with manpower shortages and intend to leverage the SERVICOM platform to drive reforms and innovation, since creating new units for such functions may not be feasible.
He said SERVICOM remains a viable channel for promoting innovation alongside service improvement across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Meanwhile, the assistant Director/ team leader, SERVICOM Office, kikelomo Aina, commended the Executive Secretary for being a SERVICOM champion while requesting more of the Council’s support.
