The Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Topo, Badagry, Lagos, has held a three-day retreat aimed at aligning its staff with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
The retreat, held in collaboration with Innovators Beyond Borders, focused on change and strategic management under the theme “Rebranding for Transformation”. It targeted senior and mid-level managers at the college.
Speaking at the opening, Mrs Funke Adepoju, Director-General of ASCON, said the retreat was designed to position the institution in line with the vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“ASCON, as we all know, is a pivotal institution meant to assist the system in developing capacities in public administration for the public service,” she said. “The college, since 1973, is still here and strong, and we are calling on all the states of the federation to plug into the vision of human capital development—stronger with ASCON behind it, and then we can all go together.”
Adepoju said ASCON recognised the need to adapt to the evolving demands of public administration.
“Our institution has long been a beacon of knowledge, innovation and leadership development in Nigeria. However, we understand that to remain relevant and impactful, we must continually assess and refine our strategies,” she said.
She added that the retreat theme reflected ASCON’s commitment to “redefining our approach, enhancing our capabilities, and strengthening our impact,” noting that the programme aimed to tap into the collective wisdom and creativity of staff to drive growth.
Mrs Titilope Ojo, Chief Executive Officer of Aplus Trainers Ltd. and one of the facilitators, said the retreat sought to elevate ASCON into a global institution.
“ASCON has been here since 1973, so for us this is a milestone. We are looking at how to transform ASCON into a global brand, to become the Harvard of Nigeria for the public sector,” she said.
She praised the Director-General for her transformative vision and urged participants to engage fully, saying, “A new thing is about to happen.”
Dr Abiola Ayeola, Deputy Director, Department of Management Studies, described the retreat as an innovative effort that could reshape the institution.
“The institution is trying to build the capacity of the public service and those in that line, and I think we are very ready. I am really impressed with the new DG’s innovation,” he said.
Dr John Ayuba, Director of Business Management and Entrepreneurship Studies, applauded the retreat as unprecedented in the college’s history.
“This is the first of its kind and it has never happened in ASCON before. It’s a great start to the often-talked-about rebranding. It will ensure everybody is conscious of the direction in which we want to move and that everybody is being carried along,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Babatunde Eniayejuni, Chairman of the Retreat Organising Committee, said the goal was to rebrand ASCON and align it with national priorities.
“Things are changing and we also want to move along with the Renewed Hope Agenda of our President. However, we need to ensure we increase the capacity of our staff to be able to cope with a lot of innovation and transformation,” he said.
(NAN)