From Cyriacus Nnaji, Lagos
Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Kadri Obafemi Hamzat has disclosed that the 21st century is about creativity, innovation, critical thinking and problem solving.
Hamzat made the revelation in his Keynote at the Maiden Edition of the Lagos State University Post Graduate Students’ Association of Human Resources and Industrial Relations Public Lecture which took place at the Makanjuola Lecture Hall on Thursday, August 25, 2022.
He said “The 21st century has so many complications when you are talking about human resource practice. One, the 21st century is knowledge driven, 21st century is about creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, it is about collaboration and it is about Information Communication Technology (ICT).
The number two citizen of Lagos State who was represented at the event by Kasali Adeniran, Permanent Secretary in the office of the Special Adviser on Education admitted that the theme of the event ‘Issues in Human Resource Management World: The Perspective of Academia, Practitioners and Policy Makers’ was germane in the sense that in the world of work today there are challenges facing human resource management.”
He stated that to be an effective human resource practitioner, particularly with the challenges in the world today, you must be 21st Century compliant. “That means you must be manageable, that means you must be creative and innovative around what you do, that stands you out, to be able to address the challenges, to be able to address issues that we have mentioned. You must look at it in terms of critical thinking and problem solving, you should be a solution provider.”
He said that Lagos is unique in the sense that apart from being a mega city, Lagos is moving towards being a smart economy. “Lagos State is becoming the Africa’s model mega city, a global economic and financial hub that is safe, secured, functional and productive,” he said.
He spoke further “For us to achieve that vision where every participant in the government process will be productive, we developed a mission for us to eradicate poverty through infrastructural renewal and development, and that is why we have series of development agenda in Lagos State. Presently we have the THEMES agenda, which is the development agenda that will drive the process; that will drive different initiatives, policies and at the end of the day we will be able to achieve the vision and mission we have set for ourselves in Lagos State. Anywhere you see the performance of the Governor, Mr Babajide Olushola Sanwo-Olu, it revolves around the THEMES agenda.”
He said explained the meaning of THEMES to those who may not have known saying “T is for Traffic Management and Transportation; H is for Health and Environment; E is for Education and Technology; M is for Making Lagos a 21th Century Economy; E is for Entertainment and Tourism and S is for Security and Governance.”
Hamzat conclude that the only mechanism for the realization of the set agenda is an effective and viral human resource management system. “So for you to drive this process you must have a viral human resource management system. Any Human resource practice must be able to address issues emanating from the social and human interaction today and that is why we are always talking about, not the work of the future but the work of today, the future is now.”
The Deputy Governor thanked the organisers of the event for their thoughtfulness and vision.
Adebayo Emmanuel Seun, President, Lagos State University Postgraduate Students’ Association of Human Resources and Industrial Relations (LASUPGSAHRIR) who spoke to the media on the theme of the event said “The rationale behind the theme is the zeal, the desire, the drive, the passion to get solution to issues that have lingered in the human resources management world and it is expedient that we consider it from that major three perspective, and as you can see the programme was well attended by all and sundry, from the professional world, from academic world and from the practitioners world. It was a wonderful programme. And it is a pleasure to pioneer this first edition of the public lecture.”
On the possibility of technology taken over human resource in the work place he said, technology is only going to enhance human input.
Speaking on the gain of human resources management in Nigeria he said “Basically, what I want us to take home today is what everybody keeps emphasizing, which is that the work as we used to know has changed from what it used to be to a different thing entirely. Work is beyond just being able to do one thing. You need to be versatile, you need to have knowledge of everything because if you have knowledge of just one thing, before you know it, if you lose it, you may not find relevance anymore in the work environment. As you are quite aware, you need to be versatile, you need to be compliant and acquainted with the latest technological tools that are applicable and useful in Human Resources Management.”
Responding to opinions in certain quarters that Technology may soon replace human input in the workplace he said “We cannot over-emphasise that technology has come to stay, however technology cannot take over the human position totally, it can only improve the performance of the Human Resources Manager as it were.”
Those that attended the event include Professor Raheem Olasupo Akewushola who doubled as the Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences, LASU and also representative of the Vice Chancellor, LASU, Distinguished Professor Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello; Head of Department, Department of Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management, Professor Foluso Ilesanmi Jayeoba; Mr Wale Adediran, Group Human Resource and General Services Director, Flour Mills Nigeria Plc, who was represented by Andrew Onyewuche.
Others were Prof. Fapohunda Tinuke Moradeke, MPHIL/PhD Coordinator; Associate Professor Kolawole Ibukun Oluwanisola, MSC Coordinator; Oluwatoyin Idowu, PGD Cordinator; Cabiru Ishola Genty Professional Matters Coordinator; among other erudite scholars from in and outside Lasu.
