The National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, on Wednesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two centres to facilitate cooperation in training and collaborative research.
The centres are the Dantiye Centre for Good Leadership and Journalism (DCLJ) and the JS Centre for Governance and Security Policy Initiative (CGSPI).
The signing, was done during a virtual meeting with participants.
Prof. Habu Galadima, Director General, NIPSS, said that the focal objective of the MoU, was to promote, establish and maintain cooperation and mutual assistance in the provision of training and strategic policy research as well as advisory support in the field of regional and global issues.
“We must dig deep within ourselves and reach beyond our comfort zones for useful, practical and beneficial solutions.
“With the insurgency in the Sahel impacting parts of Nigeria and a number of other countries in the region; political tensions, often related to elections; disputes over trade and regional protocols; significant climate changes affecting the largely agrarian economies of the region.
“Not to mention the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its ramifications for public policy, particularly public health, safety and the economy.
“The world is indeed going through a period that tasks the creative energy, innovative spirit and imagination of institutions such as NIPSS.
“We cannot keep doing things the old way,” he said.
He said that the problems confronting the world also presented unique opportunities, adding that the MoU would provide the framework for the National Institute to seize the opportunities.
“We are confident that this partnership will also assist Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region in the quest to promote collaborative politics; the ECOWAS protocols on good governance; the African Union Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG) and the African Union Agenda 2063; the United Nations Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he added.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ceremony had in attendance the Chairman of the Dantiye Centre, Prof. Munzali Jibril and the Chairman of the CGPSI, Dr. Jonathan Sandy, who was represented by Dr. Tony Karbo.
Jibril and Karbo praised the leadership and foresight of NIPSS and expressed confidence that the MoU would open a new frontier in collaborative problem-solving on the continent.
The ceremony was witnessed by senior management of NIPSS; members of the Board of Trustees of the Dantiye Centre; affiliates of the CGPSI from Cote d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Malawi, Kenya, Rwanda, UK, U.S., Australia and members of the AU-Economic, Social and Cultural Council (ECOSOCC), Lusaka.
