By Olatunde Ajayi
The Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr John Asein, has called for stronger work ethics and harmonious labour-management relations as critical tools for improving service delivery in public institutions.
Asein made the call on Wednesday in Ibadan while declaring open a workshop themed: “Work Ethics and Values for Effective Service Delivery” for officers on levels 7 to 12 in the NCC.
The event also featured his investiture as a Fellow of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin.
The NCC boss described the partnership between the Commission and MINILS as “particularly rewarding” and pledged to deepen collaboration in the years ahead.
He said that the institute’s curriculum should be expanded to accommodate emerging categories of workers in the digital economy.
“We’ll also see how we’ll strengthen you, because we believe that part of your labour studies must begin to look at the digital labourers, the intellectual property labourers, and those who may not have been adequately served by your present curriculum,” he stated.
Asein explained that the training for officers on levels 13 and 14 tagged: “Strengthening Organisational Ideals and Workplace Collaboration for Effective Regulatory Service Delivery” and the workshop for levels 7 to 12 were pointers to the commission’s long-term plans for staff development and institutional reform.
The D-G said that the commission had continued to promote harmonious labour-management relations and support timely staff advancement through promotion and other incentives.
According to him, this is to ensure workers see the immediate results of their labour as they grow in service.
Asein noted that these efforts align with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, particularly in strengthening public institutions, investing in human capital, and improving service delivery.
“For us, the Renewed Hope Agenda is not a campaign slogan. It is an affirmation of what government wants to do,” he said.
Asein added that for the NCC, the agenda was a charge to restore hope to the creative community and renew every aspect of the copyright ecosystem.
He cited the global recognition of Nigerian music, films, literature and visual arts as evidence of the sector’s growth, noting that Nigerian paintings now feature in iconic places like the Obama Library.
Earlier, in his remarks, the D-G of MINILS, Comrade Issa Aremu, said the institute has the mandate to advance workers’ education, deepen labour research, and promote industrial harmony as a cornerstone of sustainable national development.
Represented by Dr Sylvanus Adamade, the Director of Academics and Distance Learning at MINILS, Aremu said that the fellowship award was in recognition of the immense contribution of Asein to workers’ welfare and commitment to the protection of intellectual property.
He added that the NCC D-G’s contributions exemplified the values that MINILS holds dear, particularly his respect for the human right to unionise.
Aremu listed the factors that qualified the NCC D-G for the MINILS fellowship to include his effectiveness in labour management relations, sponsorship of the institute’s labour education programmes, and provision of a staff bus.
Others include the provision of modern working tools to enhance productivity, the introduction of health and safety policies, implementation of a 60 per cent job-specific allowance for staffers, and promotion of gender-friendly and non-discriminatory labour practices.
“These are not mere administrative actions. They are the core of transformative interventions to lift workers, their families, related institutions, as well as the various stakeholders, and to advance the cause of decent work in Nigeria.
“I charge the NCC D-G to continue to be a torchbearer of labour dignity, industrial harmony, as well as a frontline promoter of national development through all his endeavours,” he said.
The event featured goodwill messages from the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), Nigeria Publishers Association (NPA), Association of Independent Authors, theatre and artwork practitioners, and other stakeholders in the creative industry.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Bayo Sekoni