A group of concerned members of staff of the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research, NISER, Ibadan, have urged the Federal Government to consider an extension of tenure for the outgoing Director General of the institute, Dr. Folarin Gbadebo-Smith.
Premising their move and request on the unprecedented successes recorded during Dr. Gbadebo-Smith’s initial four-year term in office, the group said that he is in the process of repositioning the institute for relevance in the policy space as a world class Think-Tank.
A statement made available to journalists and signed by one Dr. Adebimpe Adepoju, in behalf of the staff members argued that Gbadebo-Smith’s administration, which was etched on the core mandate of NISER, has influenced policy making and policy decisions in the country.
The statement said, “This was the main point on NISER’s reform agenda, which he was charged to drive. To this end, capacity and skill gaps are being filled since he assumed office. The DG has helped to re-orientate NISER to lean towards a blend of scholarly research and public policy focus.
“The core mandate of NISER is ‘to conduct socio-economic research,’ with the goal of influencing policy making and policy decisions. This Dr. Gbadebo-Smith achieved in his first tenure, tremendously well.”
The statement further insisted that prior to the coming on stream of his administration, the research institute focused solely on individual research projects and team research projects, but on assumption of office, Dr. Gbadebo-Smith enacted reforms that turned the institute around.
The statement added, “Dr. Gbadebo-Smith was specifically charged to enact reforms that would turn NISER around and make it relevant in its advisory and influencing function, primarily in Nigeria’s policy and decision-making space, as well as in the global space.”
The group stated further in the statement that, Dr. Gbadebo-Smith’s administration brought reformation and new strategic plan to the institution, which has yielded creation of new departments.
The staffers averred, “The first is the Research Management Department, RMD, with a core mandate to manage the research process, control quality and thereby improve the quality of research output. The second is the Knowledge Management Department, KMD, with a core function to co-create knowledge products from research output, which are relevant for public policy and decision making in government. KMD serves to drive NISER’s externally facing functions, including policy engagement, external collaborations and brand management. It has the ICT and library divisions as critical divisions, driving knowledge acquisition and technological relevance. These two new departments are designed to help NISER achieve a blend of scholarly research, through the RMD, and public policy relevance through KMD.”
Arguing that Dr Gbadebo-Smith has moved NISER forward in the last four years, the group added that his initiatives have helped NISER researchers improve their capacity for research and policy influencing tremendously.
They insisted, “NISER campus is now a more enabling environment for research and he is not yet done. Things are looking up and it will be a great disservice to the institute and its well-meaning staff if Dr Gbadebo-Smith is denied the opportunity to finish up these laudable initiatives.”
Speaking further, the group insisted that Dr. Gbadebo-Smith’s clinical experience, diverse academic training in public policy, research methods and bio-materials, combined with his work in business, grassroots politics at the state and local governments levels in Nigeria, along with management of an NGO, gives him a deep understanding of the human dimensions of development, a clear insight into structure and workings of government and how government functions within a political environment.
A recipient of many research awards and fellowships, Dr Gbadebo-Smith has a background in dentistry, which is arguably the most versatile professional cadre that exists, as this is evident in his subsequent career path.
He served as an elected local government chairman of Ikoyi/Obalende Local Council Development Area, LCDA in Lagos State, Nigeria for four years, between 2003 and 2007, before earning a Masters’ degree in Public Policy as a Mason Fellow at the Harvard School of Governance between 2007 and 2008.
The group therefore maintained that the rare attributes possessed by Dr. Gbadebo-Smith makes him a unique resource as a practitioner in public policy, and more than qualified to head an institute like NISER.
