The Minister of Information and Culture,
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the Federal Government will soon adopt a
policy to give the right of first refusal to indigenous consultants in
its projects.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed revealed this in Abuja when he
received the Public Relations Consultants Association of Nigeria
(PR-CAN) on a courtesy visit to his office.
Mohammed said even when a foreign
consultant is coming into the country the company must involve
indigenous consultants.
“I remember that at the last Federal Executive Council Meeting, it was
hotly debated that in all forms of consultancy we should as a matter of
policy insist that no consultant should come without his own Nigerian
partner. That way we believe that it will make it easier for us to
develop the capacity, skills and the expertise of our home-grown
consultants,’” Mohammed said.
According to him, when enacted, the policy will
not only give impetus to job creation but it will also assist in the
development of the capacity of the indigenous consultants.
“When you involve your own consultants
in your projects, you are not just taking expert advice, you are also
employing people who have already bought into the project and who
appreciate the fact that the success of that project is the success of
the country.
“We believe in skills and technology
transfer but if you don’t give your people a chance, who is going to
give them a chance? People argue that the Nigerian consultants don’t
have the requisite experience.
Even if that is the case, how will they
get it if you continue every time to shun them and you prefer foreign
consultants? These foreign consultants got to where they got to because
they were given the opportunity from their country,” the Minister said.
He said once the policy is active,
government ministries and agencies will begin to involve consultants
like PR-CAN in their programmes.
THIS DAY
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