By Nkechi Eze
The Executive Secretary of the Agricultural Research Council of Nigeria (ARCN), Dr. Abubakar Dabban Adamu, has called for adequate and consistent funding to boost SERVICOM-driven service delivery across the nation’s agricultural research system.
In an official statement, the Head of Public Relations at ARCN, Khadijat O. Ameen, disclosed that Dr. Adamu made the appeal in Abuja during an advocacy visit by SERVICOM officials to the Council’s leadership. He said the engagement was timely, noting that the SERVICOM meeting within the Council had been stalled due to funding constraints.
Dr. Adamu emphasised that enhanced funding is central to enabling SERVICOM to achieve its mandate, particularly in driving efficiency and accountability in public institutions. “The meeting is timely. The SERVICOM Meeting has not been held because of funding. We are coming out to demand adequate and constant funding to enable us to do what we couldn’t do before. SERVICOM is very key to every sector. For us to achieve 100% service delivery, we need to fund the SERVICOM for maximum output,” he said.
He reaffirmed ARCN’s commitment to deeper collaboration with SERVICOM, stressing that the Council values partnerships that can strengthen service delivery within Nigeria’s agricultural research ecosystem. Dr. Adamu also took responsibility for the earlier change in the meeting date, attributing the shift to the Council’s tight schedules and engagements outside Abuja. He expressed optimism that the deliberations would yield meaningful outcomes.
In his remarks, the Director of Reform, Coordination, Service Improvement and Innovation at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Udoh Effik, commended ARCN for hosting the previous focal officers’ meeting, describing it as impactful and result-oriented. He explained that government agencies report to different oversight institutions based on their mandates reforms to the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), service delivery to SERVICOM, and innovation to the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation while noting that these bodies rely on quarterly reports submitted through supervising ministries.
Effik said the quarterly review meeting is designed to promote best practices, assess progress, and create a platform for agencies to share success stories and challenges, all in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly the administration’s focus on food security. He added that several agencies face manpower shortages and intend to leverage SERVICOM’s structure to drive reforms and innovation, since the creation of new dedicated units may not be feasible. According to him, SERVICOM remains a viable channel for fostering innovation and improving service delivery across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
Also speaking, the Assistant Director and Team Leader from the SERVICOM Office at the Presidency, Kikelomo Aina, commended Dr. Adamu for being a consistent SERVICOM champion while appealing for sustained support from the Council. She noted that ARCN plays a crucial role, with 16 research institutes under its supervision. “We advocate for whatever will translate to excellent service delivery. ARCN is key because 16 research institutes are under the purview of the Council. Every ministry and department has SERVICOM units; we encourage that every customer should be crowned as king,” she said.
