Nigerian experts to assist Ethiopian civil service

LAGOS -- Under the MOU, the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria is to second higher education experts to teach at the ECSC in such fields as Business Economics, Accounting Management, Public Administration and Law. The College is also to assist in curriculum development and course design at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, as well as short term training programmes for federal and regional civil servants. It is also expected to assist in developing the capacity of the ECSC to undertake research and provide consultancy services to the state.
Professor Sheik Abdullah, Director-General of ASCON, in an address urged co-operation among African countries in tackling the continent's numerous problems stating that since African countries operated in a similar environment, they would be better able to look inward and co-operate to address economic and sundry issues affecting them. ''Developing countries, particularly Africa, need to look inward and must co-operate in the areas of capacity building, trade, investment and all other areas,'' Prof. Abdullah said.
An MOU between the two bodies was first signed in March 2000 for a four year period during which three Nigerian scholars were seconded to the ECSC. ''The renewal of the MOU for another four years attests to the fact that they (scholars) acquitted themselves creditably and exhibited a high degree of professionalism in their various assignments,'' Abdullah said.
The President of the ECSC, Dr Haile-Michael Aberra expressed gratitude to the Nigerian government for the assistance it has been providing to develop Ethiopia, noting that the assistance of ASCON in manpower development had helped in strengthening the establishment of the federal system of government introduced in Ethiopia seven years ago.''The federal system was lacking in our civil service structure until ASCON provided the wherewithal to assist
us,'' he said.
In a message, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, said the signing of the MOU marked another milestone in the contribution of ASCON to capacity development in the continent.
ASCON was set up in October 1973 to provide higher management training for the development of senior executives for the public and private sector of the Nigerian economy; to provide and arrange for comparative study and investigation of the principles and techniques of management and administation and for exchange of ideas and experience. It has trained more than 9,000 people both within and outside the country.

In another development the Nigerian Government has earmarked US$25 million under the Nigerian Technical Co-operation Fund for the rapid technical and manpower development of Africa.
Dr Sule Yakubu, Director-General, Directorate of Technical Co-operation in Africa (DTCA), who announced this during the signing of the MOU between ASCON and ECSC, said that the fund, which would be spent over 10 years, would facilitate the technical development of the continent through the deployment of experts in various disciplines from countries with comparative advantage to others.
He listed the areas to be given attention as information technology, technological skills and education, research capacities, manpower development and infrastructure. Yakubu said that Ethiopia, which recently approved the establishment of 13 additional universities in the next five years, had solicited the support of Nigeria in staffing the institutions.

He said that Nigeria, having a comparative advantage in most areas of endeavour, would help its less endowed neighbours by providing manpower for their development adding that the collaboration between ASCON and ECSC would further strengthen co-operation and integration on the continent.