NITDA Sets Up Management-Union Committee to Tackle Staff Welfare, Productivity

The Director General, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa addressing the management and members of staff at the 2026 HR and International HR Professional Day cocktail dinner and closing ceremony.

"Improved welfare must be matched by improved performance." Kashifu Inuwa.

... "The agency stands to benefit when employees were provided with the right conditions to develop their capabilities and contribute fully to its mandate."

The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, has inaugurated a Joint Management-Union Committee to provide a structured platform for addressing issues relating to staff welfare, training, productivity and workplace conditions in the agency.

Inuwa, who inaugurated the committee at the closing ceremony of NITDA’s Human Resources Sensitisation Week 2026, said the initiative was designed to ensure that concerns raised by employees were addressed through consultation and transparency rather than on an ad hoc basis.

The committee brings representatives of management and the staff union together to deliberate on employee-related issues and facilitate mutually informed decisions.

The DG said effective management must go beyond the enforcement of rules and procedures, stressing that employees remained central to NITDA’s ability to deliver on its mandate.

He said the Human Resources function must increasingly focus on unlocking the potential of employees and creating an environment that enables them to contribute meaningfully to the agency.

According to him, “People are the operating system of the Agency. We want to unlock your potential. We want to make you innovative so that the Agency will achieve its mandate.

“So, as we continue to manage our personnel, it's also important to start thinking of how we can move from managing people to unlocking their potential.”

Inuwa said the committee’s mandate would extend beyond training issues to encompass broader staff welfare concerns, directing its members to commence work with urgency.

The development followed concerns raised by staff over the allocation of training opportunities and other benefits.

The DG agreed that capacity development opportunities should take employees’ performance and contributions into consideration, rather than being based solely on rank.

Staff also raised concerns about gaps in working tools and the need for quicker intervention when employees face medical emergencies or accidents.

Responding, Inuwa said NITDA had procured digital tools and was working towards ensuring that all staff members had the equipment required to perform their duties effectively.

He added that the agency had expanded training opportunities in recent years, including international programmes.

The DG described the feedback session as an opportunity for the Human Resources Department to identify areas where it was performing well and those requiring improvement, describing the relationship between management and employees as a “social contract” in which both sides had responsibilities.

While assuring staff of continued attention to their welfare, Inuwa urged them to reciprocate with stronger commitment, productivity and punctuality.

He stressed that improved welfare must be matched by improved performance, noting that the agency stood to benefit when employees were provided with the right conditions to develop their capabilities and contribute fully to its mandate.

The committee comprises management representatives, including the Director of Finance, Director of Human Resources, the DG’s representative and auditors, while the staff union is expected to nominate four representatives.

Earlier, NITDA’s Director of Human Resource Management, Mr Sarafa Lawal, said the role of human resources had evolved beyond recruitment, personnel administration and staff welfare to become a strategic function in driving organisational performance and innovation.

Lawal said modern HR practices must help shape organisational capability, culture, performance and sustainability by ensuring that employees understood the agency’s direction, their responsibilities and available opportunities for professional growth.

He described employees as strategic assets rather than merely costs to be managed, saying investments in training, professional development, coaching and career development should be regarded as investments in institutional capacity.

According to him, human capital development was a shared responsibility involving the HR department, directors, heads of departments and individual employees.

He explained that while HR was responsible for providing policies, systems, tools and support, managers must provide leadership, coaching and feedback, while employees must take ownership of their responsibilities and performance.

The three-day Human Resources Sensitisation Week combined professional development with activities aimed at promoting interaction and recognising staff contributions.

The programme featured a football competition, a workshop for administrative staff on the new HR T-Model and an HR Clinic, which provided employees with an opportunity to engage with the HR Department on workplace-related matters.

The closing ceremony, attended by top management, heads of departments and unit heads, also featured awards for staff recognised for excellent performance, attendance and punctuality.

Best-dressed staff members were equally rewarded, while cleaners, security personnel and other support staff were included among those recognised for their contributions to the agency.