Being the Keynote Address by H.E. Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON Minister of Mines and Steel Development Federal Republic of Nigeria at the Annual Lecture of the 16th National Productivity Day organized by THE NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE

1. FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA
MINISTRY OF MINES AND STEEL DEVELOPMENT
OFFICE OF THE MINISTER
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PRODUCTIVITY FOR SUSTAINABLE
ENTERPRENUERSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT
Being the Keynote Address by
H.E. Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Minister of Mines and Steel Development
Federal Republic of Nigeria
at the Annual Lecture of the
16th National Productivity Day organized by
THE NATIONAL PRODUCTIVITY CENTRE
at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Protocols and Introduction
Your Excellency, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON – the Acting President of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria;
Sen. Chris Ngige – the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment;
Distinguished Personalities to receive the NPOM awards today;
Dr. Kashim Akor, the Director General of the National Productivity Centre;
Government officials here present;
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen;
I must start by expressing my gratitude to my ministerial colleague, Sen. Chris
Ngige – the Minister of Labour and Employment; and Dr. Kashim Akor – the
Director General of the National Productivity Centre, for according me the
opportunity to be the Guest Speaker of the NPC’s award lecture this year. I
understand that the award lecture is an important leg of the tripod upon which
the NPC’s platform of engagement for this event rests – the other two being
the Exhibition of Made-in-Nigeria goods, and the Conferment of the National
Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) awards to deserving patriots.
The National Productivity Centre is a critical stakeholder and partner with
government, towards meeting our policy priorities of job creation, increased
productivity, and the diversification of our economy’s revenue base. I am
therefore pleased to be invited to speak at this event, and contribute to what is
clearly a well thought out strategic plan, aimed at delivering on very noble

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objectives in keeping with the mandate of the NPC, and the strategic goals of
government. The lineup of events is by itself very instructive, and I believe the
job cut out for me today is to simply say a few words to bring their significance
to the fore.
Meritocracy for Societal Development and Productivity
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, the origin of the National Productivity
Day observance can be traced to the approval by the federal government in
2012, of a national policy on productivity for Nigeria. This policy is geared
towards stimulating the sustainable development of the Nigerian economy
through productivity enhancement initiatives. This august gathering is in
furtherance of this objective, and seeks to celebrate and emphasize the
importance of meritocracy and a robust reward system, as the bedrock upon
which any progressive society must be built.
Meritocracy, from a sociological perspective, refers to a system in which the
success of people in society is dependent on their talents, abilities and efforts,
much more than any social markers such as gender, ethnicity, religion or other
such considerations. In other words, the concept promotes the importance of
hard work and other similar attributes by citizens as a guaranty of upward
social mobility, and as a determinant of productivity and progress of the
society at large. The concept of meritocracy also provides for the reward of
high achievers in society, to serve as a positive reinforcement aimed at
inspiring a modification of orientation, focus and character in others. This will
ultimately contribute to comprehensive productivity for sustainable
entrepreneurship and employment in the country.
Therefore, we cannot possibly overstate the significance of such prestigious
awards being conferred today on individuals who have distinguished
themselves in various walks of life, by anchoring their occupational endeavors
on the principles of selfless service, integrity, and diligence, and have thus
become models to be commended to the rest of us as exemplars of values-
based achievement. Without a doubt, restoring this important ingredient of
nation building to Nigeria is important in our quest for improved productivity
and national development.
This is especially so, owing to the prevalent societal realities which have seen
the rise of criminality, chicanery, and corruption as acceptable practices, as
long as it leads to some form of “success”. This depraved way of life is often
times cultivated right from childhood whereby parents/guardians of young
pupils aid and abet and many at times introduce children to examination
malpractices. The corresponding effect is that this instills the misconstrued
ideology of finagling as a veritable pathway to success. The contemporary
prevalent culture is thus beginning to represent the idea that hard work is less
fruitful. This has posed a major impediment to productivity in the Nigerian
socio-economic experience, and is a disincentive for hard work. After all, why
work hard and be productive when shortcuts to wealth and societal
prominence abound?

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Consequently, the NPOM awards are a step in the right direction. The awards
have over the years earned increasing prominence and credibility, amidst the
proliferation of awards in our society today – many of which are lacking in
substance. All stakeholders must therefore work together with the National
Productivity Centre to strengthen the position of the NPOM awards in society,
not only as a platform for recognizing good success, but also as a very powerful
motivating factor for every young person who seeks recognition for hard work
and patriotic service.
Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Productivity
Ladies and gentlemen, I believe we are all in agreement that the Nigerian
society needs more entrepreneurs for greater productivity. As I argued in my
paper at the recently held UNILAG convocation lecture, our educational
institutions have to rise to the occasion and prepare students for the realities
of our time. Year-in, year-out, thousands of young people graduate from our
universities, with not enough jobs to absorb them. Many of them end up
swelling the ranks of unemployed or underemployed people, leading to a
massive youth unemployment crisis that has calcified over the years, with
grave socio-economic portents for the future. Our universities are best
positioned to address this by ensuring our graduates are well equipped to
respond to these and other challenges.
While government works to provide the conducive environment for
enterprises to flourish, our students have to be imbued with the
entrepreneurial and productive spirit right from our educational institutions.
We have to train our young people to be orientated more to acquiring the
capacity to be productive, than just obtaining certificates. We must give our
youth the opportunity to put the knowledge they have acquired to practice.
Employers of labour are encouraged to establish systems that accommodate as
many on-the-job training programmes and internships as possible, to
complement the efforts of government’s educational policies in this regards.
No employer has the moral right to demand years of experience as a condition
for employing young people, if they haven’t provided the avenues for such on-
the-job experience to be acquired.
Societal advancement and productivity has always depended on the
entrepreneurial spirit. Entrepreneurship in this context transcends the idea of
simply starting or owning a business. It subsumes the process by which
individuals discern favourable possibilities, apportion resources and produce
value. Not everybody with an entrepreneurial spirit establishes a company or a
business, but such people are distinguished by their productivity and the value
they add wherever they find themselves. An entrepreneurial employee for
example, is an individual that possesses entrepreneurial attributes such as
innovation, creativity and drive, which they bring to bear in their respective
places of employment. Entrepreneurs are individuals who are innovators and
agents of change – whether they work within an organization or establish their
own enterprises. The point here is that we need more of such people in every

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facet of society in order to enhance productivity. We need to spot and nurture
such individuals, and encourage others to emulate them.
However, in many of our organisations, the entrepreneurial spirit is sadly not
rewarded, but rather punished. What we have in many cases are personality
cults around the leader or Chief Executive, in which fawning loyalty or what
you call “eye service” rather than competence and creativity dictates the
allocation of reward. This sustains illiberal environments in which divergent
thinking, innovation and initiative are punished while servile herd-thinking is
rewarded. In such organizations, members who seek to advance in their
careers tend to blend in rather than stand out; thereby crippling their own
leadership potential and entrepreneurial drive, thus hampering
productivity. We need to give our youth the wings to fly. We need to restore
the culture of meritocracy that encourages the entrepreneurial spirit to
flourish, thereby enhancing productivity in society.
Another point to be made in addition to the need to re-establish meritocracy
and encourage the entrepreneurial spirit, is the need to re-establish ethics to
the core of our socialization processes in the country. This is not the work of
our educational institutions alone, but is also the responsibility of every single
family unit in the country. Our contemporary experience features the tragedy
of academically sound graduates that have no fiber of ethical awareness, locus
of control, or moral judgment in their beings. These ones are cannon fodder
launched into the larger society to complicate already existing socio-economic
malaises. One of the results is unbridled corruption which has stunted our
nation’s progress for many decades - this is a national emergency this
administration has rightly identified and is addressing concertedly – we must
all fight this monster if we are to witness sustainable development and
productivity.
The corollary from our previous point about rewarding hard work and
enterprise, which is the objective of the NPOM, is that a progressive society’s
reward system must also provide for the punishment of wrong doing and the
violation of prescribed laws and regulations, to serve as a deterrent to
members of society. Government’s role in this regard, is to ensure we have a
virile and effective system of administering justice. You would all agree with
me that this administration has been alive to our responsibilities in this
regard, by exposing the real enemies of Nigeria who have blindly looted our
commonwealth and prosecuting them. Government remains committed to
ensuring justice is done and seen to be done in every case.
Society can only develop and be productive when our reward systems are
robust and effective – good must be rewarded and evil must be punished.
Government can however not do this alone. It is a task we must all tackle
collectively, right from the family unit to our communities, to the nation at
large. We can only make progress and be productive when we stop celebrating
criminals and brigands, and start recognizing unsung heroes within our
society. We must do everything possible to encourage good behavior and
entrepreneurship, especially small and micro businesses. We must restore the

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dignity in honest labour and productive enterprise, and demonstrate to our
children that the true heroes of society are those that work hard to make an
honest living without stealing our commonwealth nor defrauding others. We
must favour Made-in-Nigeria products and services over imported ones in
order to encourage productivity.
In the Quest for Productivity: Government’s Efforts and the Made-
in-Nigeria Campaign
Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, as I said earlier, the organizers of this
event have done well in designing components of this programme that
effectively address the subject of productivity. The “Made-in-Nigeria”
exhibition which is being held alongside this event is in line with government’s
priority agenda of improving productivity of non-oil sectors of the economy,
thereby diversifying our economy’s revenue base, and creating employment.
This campaign is principally aimed at encouraging the development and
patronage of indigenously produced goods and services. The rationale behind
this campaign has been an integral focus of numerous government policies
geared towards import substitution. There is no doubt that increased
patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods will lessen the dependency on
importation, and lead to the strengthening of our Naira.
Government’s travails will continue to be robust and all-inclusive in ensuring
continuous productivity for sustainable entrepreneurship and employment on
one hand. On the other hand, citizens must complement government’s efforts
by embracing the requisite attitudinal change, whereby we all begin to look
inwards and increase our patronage of Made-in-Nigeria goods. The preference
for foreign goods over domestic ones is many at times misplaced. As such, we
must collectively tackle the prevalent defective rhetoric against Made-in-
Nigeria goods, and ensure a paradigm shift in this regard. Government will
continue to lead with policies to encourage this national priority, and support
citizens’ led campaigns in this wise.
As you may be aware, the Nigerian Senate for example, passed legislation in
June 2016 to amend the National Public Procurement Act, to provide for a
local content policy to assist local manufacturing. Similarly, the Federal
Executive Council has carried out numerous executive actions to promote
domestic patronage. I am certain that many of the exhibitors have testimonials
of how government support has provided leverage for their businesses, as
must countless other small businesses that are now blossoming around the
country. Notwithstanding, local manufacturers and entrepreneurs must also
play their role by taking quality assurance seriously and continuously
improving upon their products. Nigerians should not be cajoled to buy Made-
in-Nigeria goods in order to build our economy and for the sake of national
pride, but we should derive optimal value and customer satisfaction whenever
we support our kinsmen by patronizing them.

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“Made-in-Nigeria” must be positioned in the minds of consumers as
synonymous to good quality, functionality, affordability, and other positive
values.
I must at this juncture point out that government realizes the perennial
challenges that entrepreneurs and indeed all Nigerians face, and we are is
taking necessary measures to address them. Issues such as steady power
supply, access to finance, and supporting infrastructure are being tackled
comprehensively in order to create the enabling environment for productivity
and sustainable development. Government is also addressing Nigeria’s low
ranking in the “Ease-of-Doing” business ranking, in order to ensure our
jurisdiction is more attractive to foreign investors. Every sector of our
economy is being restructured to meet the common goal of increased
productivity and employment creation.
While I recognize that my brief is not to speak specifically on the Mining
sector, please allow me share a few points about our plans for enhancing
productivity in mining. For us in the Ministry of Mines and Steel
Development, our growth Strategy to rebuild the sector and unlock its full
potential for increased productivity over the next two decades has been
articulated in a roadmap which has been approved by the Federal Executive
Council. Ladies and gentlemen please allow me use this opportunity to share
highlights of our roadmap for the mining sector:
Conclusion
Ladies and gentlemen, as I conclude my remarks, may I point out that the
road ahead will not be easy. I am however confident that we have the most
important strategic advantage which is our people. The indomitable spirit,
creativity, and enterprising spirit of the average Nigerian is a crucial resource
we must leverage in improving productivity in all sectors of our economy
especially in the non-oil category. Government is committed to building an
environment where every single Nigeria can reach the peak of his/her
potentials, and where the entire country progresses together.
I congratulate all the esteemed recipients of today’s NPOM awards, and wish
you many more accomplishments in your life and careers. More importantly, it
is my hope that in line with the objectives of the organizers, these awards will
serve to inspire others to put in their best in the service of God and country,
towards the attainment of a just, egalitarian, progressive, prosperous and
productive society.
Thank you for listening.
Dr. Kayode Fayemi, CON
Minister
Abuja, Nigeria| Tuesday, February 21, 2017