FG to Introduce Financial Rewards for Innovative MDAs, Staff

Ndubuisi Francis and Kelvin Okofu in Abuja
The federal government is to introduce cash  rewards and other incentives for innovative ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs)  as well as staff,  to motivate them into becoming vessels for ideas generation.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winifred Ekanem Oyo-Ita, who stated this, said the incentives for innovative staff and MDAs will be part of the 2017 budget proposals.

 Speaking at a workshop on “Cost Management on Overhead Expenditure for Senior Government Officials” in Abuja yesterday, Oyo-Ita stated that one of the goals of the MDAs was developing enterprise culture and commercial orientation, adding that this would transform the civil service from being perceived as a cost centre to revenue earners.

Other benefits of this initiative, she said, was ensuring that civil servants and MDAs become ideas generation powerhouses, thus complementing the private sector in creating business opportunities as well as making civil servants become very knowledgeable in innovation and entrepreneurship capable of translating ideas into businesses.

In her remarks at the workshop, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, noted that the government had set out a clear strategy for resetting the economy.

“We have identified that underinvestment in capital has restricted our growth and left us dependent on oil rather than exploiting other areas with potential.

“Those economies that have continued growing even in the downturn have been those with the most diverse revenue base,” she said.

Adeosun also urged accounting officers to be more efficient and accountable in managing public funds, eliminating waste and cutting cost where necessary

“Every amount we save is going direct to power, roads, rail, housing and those investments that will revive economy, create jobs and reduce cost of living for Nigerians,” she said.