Ogun Govt Moves To Boost Investment Drive, Service Delivery With Training Of 66 Commercial Officers

Commercial Officers in the Ogun State Civil Service have been urged to embrace modern approaches to service delivery to strengthen the State’s investment drive and enhance trade administration in the state 

The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr. Adedeji Sowunmi, gave the charge during a capacity-building programme for 66 Commercial Officers which has its theme “Enhancing Professional Competence for Effective Trade Administration and Commercial Services,” held at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Sowunmi, said the training was organised to equip participants with the skills required to meet the evolving demands of the business environment.

The Permanent Secretary said the programme, organised in line with the ISEYA Agenda, was designed to improve the competence of commercial officers in investment promotion, revenue generation and efficient service delivery in view of the changing business landscape.

“In today’s dynamic business environment, we can no longer rely on old methods. Investors demand efficiency, data-driven decisions and excellent customer service. This training is designed to equip you with modern commercial practices, negotiation skills, investment promotion strategies and policy implementation tools that will make you more effective in your duties,” he said.

The permanent Secretary described Commercial Officers as key drivers of the State’s Ease of Doing Business agenda, stressing that their professionalism and capacity would largely determine the success of government efforts to attract investment, grow industries and improve internally generated revenue, urging participants to remained committed to excellence in the discharge of their responsibilities.

The training featured a series of lectures delivered by seasoned public servants. Presenting a paper on “Ethics and Discipline: Pillars of Professional Competence for Effective Trade Administration and Commercial Services,” Assistant Chief Administrative Officer, Bureau of Cabinet and Special Services, Mr. Idowu Lasisi, urged officers to uphold ethical standards, maintain discipline and shun absenteeism, misconduct and partisan politics.

Also speaking, Head of the Speech Unit, Governor’s Office, Mr. Bode Sotoyinbo, who lectured on “Report Writing and Official Correspondence,” emphasised the need for reports to be clear, concise, objective, evidence-based and confidential, while another professional, Mr. Theophilus Iredele, handled a session on the State’s automated Business Premises Registration Portal, highlighting how the digital platform had simplified business registration processes.

Responding on behalf of the participants, the Acting General Manager of the Ogun State Market Development Board, Mr. Kehinde Omitogun, commended the Ministry for its commitment to continuous staff development, assuring that the knowledge acquired during the training would be applied to improve service delivery and support the State’s economic development initiatives.