Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade. Credit: Ogbomoso Insight

Eighty civil servants in Oyo State have undergone a three-week intensive training in basic computer operations and applications as part of efforts to strengthen digital skills and improve efficiency in the state’s public service.

The Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Ibadan on Tuesday.

Oyelade said the training, organised by the Simeon Adebo Staff Development Centre, Ibadan, was designed to enhance workplace efficiency and service delivery across ministries, departments and agencies in the state.

He said the initiative was part of the state government’s commitment to continuous capacity building and the development of a digitally competent civil service.

“The three-week intensive training programme in Basic Computer Operation and Application is designed to strengthen digital skills, improve workplace efficiency and enhance service delivery across Ministries, Departments and Agencies in the state,” Oyelade said.

Declaring the training closed, the Oyo State Head of Service, Adenike Fasina, commended the management of the centre for its commitment to continuous capacity building and human resource development in the state civil service.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Career Management Service, Office of the Head of Service, Mr Muyiwa Olagoke, Fasina assured the centre of the state government’s continued moral and financial support to strengthen its operations and enhance its training programmes.

Speaking on the significance of the initiative, the Commissioner for Investment, Trade, Cooperatives and Industry, Prof Saliu Adelabu, said the state government was transitioning from conventional administration to a digital and virtual system.

According to him, the government will soon commence Business Process Automation across its operations, stressing that computer literacy has become essential to effective public-sector administration.

“The state government is migrating from conventional administration to a virtual system; everything will soon be online. We are coming with Business Process Automation. Through our Management Information System Centre, we are encouraging more computer training, starting with beginners, but soon, all Oyo State workers will become experts,” Adelabu said.

He explained that although most civil servants were already computer literate, the training was specifically designed to equip participants with practical digital skills relevant to public-sector governance.

“This training is specifically designed to equip participants with practical digital skills relevant to public-sector governance,” Adelabu added.

In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Establishments and Training, Alhaji Alade Bello, urged the participants to continuously practise the skills acquired during the programme and apply them effectively in their respective MDAs.

In their separate goodwill messages, the Permanent Secretary, Teaching Service Commission, Mrs Abimbola Serifat Bukola; Permanent Secretary, Civil Service Commission, Mrs Christianah Abidemi Adejumo; and Executive Secretary, Agency for Youth Empowerment, Alhaja Mustapha Kudirat Oyebisi, emphasised the importance of computer literacy in the daily activities of civil and public servants.

They encouraged the graduates to continually develop their digital competencies to achieve mastery, noting that such skills could enhance their career prospects, professional recognition and advancement.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary, Simeon Adebo Staff Development Centre, Mrs Stella Okedum, charged the graduates to build on the foundational knowledge gained during the training and translate their learning into practical improvements in their workplaces.

Speaking on behalf of the other graduates, Mrs Adeola Sulaimon and Mr Damilare Adubi described the training as a laudable initiative that had significantly improved their knowledge and practical computer skills.

They expressed appreciation to the state government and the management of the Staff Development Centre, adding that the certificates presented to them would provide an added advantage to their future career pursuits.