Group drums up support for NISER DG’s tenure extension

A group of concerned staff members of the Nigerian Institute of Social & Economic Research (NISER) has urged Federal Government to consider an extension of tenure for the outgoing Director-General of the institute, Dr Folarin Gbadebo-Smith.

Hinging the move on the successes recorded during Dr Smith’s initial four-year term in office, the group said he is in the process of re-positioning the institute for relevance in the policy space as a world-class think tank.

In a statement made available to journalists and signed by Dr Adebimpe Adepoju, the group argued that Gbadebo-Smith’s administration which was etched on the core mandates of NISER has positively influenced policymaking and policy decisions in the country.

“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,” it read in part.

“The core mandate of NISER is ‘to conduct socio-economic research’, with the goal of influencing policymaking and policy decisions. This, Dr Gbadebo-Smith achieved in his first tenure,” the statement read.

It further emphasized that prior to his administration, the research institute focused solely on individual research projects and team research projects, but on the assumption of office, Dr Gbadebo-Smith enacted reforms that turned the institute around.

“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,” it read.

The statement further said that Dr Gbadebo-Smith’s administration brought reformation and a new strategic plan to the institution, which has led to the creation of new departments.

“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.”

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