The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mr. Olanrewaju Bajulaiye, has called for a review of the modalities guiding the monthly in-house professional training sessions for Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) in the State Public Service.
Mr. Bajulaiye made the proposal on Friday during a meeting with the organising committee of the monthly training, which comprises Directors from the Public Affairs cadre responsible for coordinating the sessions.
He emphasized that the training must continue to fulfil its core objectives of enhancing professional capacity, promoting knowledge sharing, and strengthening interpersonal engagement among officers within the cadre.
The Permanent Secretary observed that since the COVID-19 pandemic, the sessions have been held virtually via Zoom, a model he said now requires re-evaluation to boost participation, deepen professional bonding, and encourage more spontaneous feedback from officers across Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
According to him, “While the virtual format sustained knowledge sharing during the pandemic, it limited engagement and time for interaction. Moving back to physical sessions will enhance the quality and impact of the initiative.”
Mr. Bajulaiye further explained that future training sessions would go beyond capacity building to include the submission of monthly activity reports and periodic performance reviews by Public Affairs Officers across MDAs.
He urged officers to treat the monthly training with the utmost seriousness, describing it as a strategic investment by the state government in their personal and professional development.
The Permanent Secretary also announced that the October edition of the training, initially scheduled for Wednesday, October 29, 2025, has been postponed to Wednesday, November 5, 2025, due to pressing state engagements. He added that the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, would deliver the opening remarks at the rescheduled session to inspire and motivate participants.
In her remarks, the Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mrs. Bolanle Ogunlola, welcomed the Permanent Secretary to the Ministry and briefed him on the achievements recorded through the monthly training initiative over the years. She assured that future editions would be more seamless, impactful, and participatory.
Other members of the organising committee present at the meeting included Mr. Ganiu Lawal, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Housing; Mrs. Temilade Aruya, Deputy Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Information and Strategy; Mr. Leke Quadri, Director of Public Affairs, Ministry of Finance; and Mr. Ayomileleyi Afuwape, Public Affairs Officer, Office of the First Lady.
