Laraba MUREY
The Federal Government has launched a new Performance Management System, PMS, aimed at boosting efficiency, accountability, and tangible results in poverty reduction and humanitarian programs
Speaking during the 2025 Sectorial and Ministerial Retreat, on Saturday, in Abuja, the Minister of State Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Yusuf Sununu disclosed that the PMS will link the ministry’s objectives with the President’s eight-point agenda and clearly define responsibilities for directors, units, and staff.
“Performance is not just a metric; it is a moral obligation. We owe it to Nigerians to perform effectively and efficiently.”
The Minister highlighted the three pillars of the system, saying, “Everyone in this room, and indeed everyone in the ministry, must answer two fundamental questions: What specifically are you responsible for achieving in the next quarter? And how will you ensure success qualitatively?”
He added, “Data will be our compass and our accountability shield. When we distribute relief materials, we must track the demographic profile of beneficiaries and the subsequent change in their livelihood.”
On staff engagement and feedback, he said, “A successful performance monitoring system is not a once-a-year exercise, but a continuous year-round conversation. Supervisors must act as coaches and mentors, providing timely constructive feedback that helps your team members to grow and overcome obstacles.”
Regarding rewards and accountability, the Minister stated, “We must institutionalize a culture where exceptional performance is recognized and rewarded… high performance must be seen as a career path advance. I would advise that we institute a performance evaluation award in the ministry, apart from that of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation, to encourage staff to do more.”
He also emphasized discipline and punctuality, saying, “If the Minister can come at eight o’clock, and the Director of the Secretariat is going to come at 10.00 or 11.00, it doesn’t work well for the system… We must be accountable to time, otherwise we lose the trust of international partners and Nigerians.”
On innovation and institutional capacity, he added, “We must also embrace innovation, including paperless governance.No one should be left behind, and we must not be left behind in paperless governance. That is not acceptable,” he said.
The retreat also marked the announcement of the first National Council of Maternal Affairs and Poverty Reduction, scheduled to hold in CrossRiver State at strengthening collaboration across the ministry and its agencies.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, Permanent Secretary Yakubu Adam Kofarmata said, “PMS is our means of bringing to life the deliverables and mandate of Mr. President for the ministry and the nation at large. This is an opportunity to translate our strategic goals into outcomes, and those outcomes into measurable results that can be tracked, monitored, and adjusted.”
He urged participants to actively engage, adding, “Let us take this opportunity to reflect on our achievements, identify gaps, and chart a clear path so that we can push forward for sustained excellence in performance management and in achieving all the mandates given to this ministry.”
