By Christian Njoku
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria (CIPM) has disclosed that technology alone cannot transform the nations public service.
The assertion Was made by the CIPM President Mr Ahmed Gobir on Wednesday in Calabar during the Fifth Annual Branch Conference and 44th Branch Anniversary of the Cross River branch of the institute.
The theme of the conference was empowering people to lead change in the public sector: the future of government human resource in an Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven era.
Gobir who was represented by the South-South Coordinator of CIPM, Ms Susan Agorom, said AI had come to stay and would improve efficiency in both public and private sectors.
He said digitisation could significantly reduce corruption and inefficiency in public service operations if government showed commitment to implementation
He however, stressed that AI would not replace humans but would complement human efforts and improve productivity.
According to him, empathy and emotional intelligence would remain essential despite increasing digital interactions in workplaces.
On her part, Mrs Adeola Ogunyankin, Chairman of CIPM Cross River Branch, said the conference focused on preparing public servants for technological changes in the workplace.
According to her, the theme became necessary because many government processes remain manual despite global digital transformation.
“We need to sensitise public servants and help them move from paper processes to digital operations,” Ogunyankin said.
She described resistance to change among workers as a major limitation to technology adoption in the public sector adding that CIPM was creating awareness and building capacities to prepare younger professionals for the evolving HR industry.
She added that the institute was collaborating with universities and HR experts to expose students to practical human resource management.
Also speaking Mr Orok Okon, Cross River’s Head of Service (HoS) said governments must intentionally invest in people, reform human resource systems and promote continuous training to prepare workers for digital transformation.
Represented by Mrs Lucy Enakirerhi Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Office of the HoS, Okon noted that traditionally, HR in the public sector focused on recruitment, payroll and administration but in the 21st century it has evolved.
According to him, “However, the future of public sector transformation will not be determined by technology alone, but by how well we empower people to use it,” he said.
He urged governments to ensure ethical AI governance and build digitally prepared, people-centred public institutions.
Earlier, the institute had a medical outreach in partnership with the Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN) Cross River chapter were members of the public were screened for hepatitis, High Blood Pressure and other ailments
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference featured two panel discussions: the evolution of governance: navigating the shift from paper to pixel and bridging the skill gap between private and public sectors.
It also featured the presentation of awards to deserving recipients.
