The National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC) has promised to provide farmers with improved seeds to boost agricultural yield.
NASC Director General, Dr. Philp Olusegun Ojo, made this known recently in Abuja during the presentation of report on self-assessment of the council to the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR). Ojo explained that the short period of the council’s collaboration with BPSR and its partners has revealed the way stakeholders appreciate its effort in sanitising the agricultural space in Nigeria through deployment of good quality seeds.
He further noted that the information gap between the service reforms, the council and farmers have been closed, expressing his determination to rejig the council in accordance with BPSR’s guidelines.
“We have every reason to celebrate as we open our doors for BPSR to administer its Self-Assessment Tool (SAT). It is really out to assist and reposition agencies, particularly in ensuring that gaps are met. We want SAT to be done on yearly basis, and I recommend it to other agencies that are yet to key into it,” he added.
Earlier, BPSR’s Acting Director General, Dasuki Arabi, who presented the Silver Level Certificate in Management and Governance Practice to the agency, commended the council for meeting its most critical organisational goals.
According to him, “BPSR deployed SAT in NASC between July 6 and August 29, 2018 at the council’s corporate headquarters in Abuja and its zonal offices.
“Under governance, we have found out that the NASC governing board provides the level arm, policy framework and direction for the council to function. Indirectly, we have found a functioning board that is maintaining an active and wonderful relationship between them, management and staff of the organisation.
“Following the validation assessment, NASC’s performance was rated as consistently meeting expectations in all essential areas of responsibilities, at times exceeding expectations, and the quality of work is generally good, in most cases excellent.”
The governing board has ensured the establishment of anti-corruption policy. You need every support of the Federal Government,” he affirmed.
Arabi however added that a policy brief would be forwarded to the Federal Executive Council through the Secretary to the government of the federation, with the hope that government would have another look at NASC.