By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Calabar
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management of Nigeria has said technology alone cannot transform Nigeria’s public service, stressing that human capacity development remains critical in the digital era.
President of the institute, Ahmed Gobir, stated this on Wednesday in Calabar during the Fifth Annual Branch Conference and 44th anniversary of the Cross River branch of the institute.
The conference, themed “Empowering People to Lead Change in the Public Sector: The Future of Government Human Resource in an Artificial Intelligence-Driven Era,” focused on preparing public servants for emerging workplace realities shaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Represented by the South-South Coordinator of CIPM, Susan Agorom, Gobir said AI had come to stay and would improve efficiency in both public and private sectors.
He noted that digitisation could significantly reduce corruption and inefficiency in government operations if properly implemented, adding that AI would complement, rather than replace, human labour.
According to him, empathy and emotional intelligence would remain indispensable despite growing digital interactions in workplaces.
Chairman of CIPM Cross River Branch, Adeola Ogunyankin, said the conference became necessary because many government processes were still largely manual despite global advances in digital transformation.
“We need to sensitise public servants and help them move from paper processes to digital operations,” she said.
Ogunyankin identified resistance to change among workers as a major challenge to technology adoption in the public sector, adding that the institute was intensifying awareness campaigns and capacity building for younger professionals in the evolving HR industry.
She further disclosed that the institute was collaborating with universities and HR experts to expose students to practical human resource management.
Also speaking, Cross River State Head of Service, Orok Okon, said governments must deliberately invest in people, reform HR systems and promote continuous training to prepare workers for digital transformation.
Represented by Permanent Secretary, Career Management Office, Lucy Enakirerhi, Okon said human resource management had evolved beyond recruitment, payroll and administration.
“The future of public sector transformation will not be determined by technology alone, but by how well we empower people to use it,” he said, urging governments to promote ethical AI governance and build people-centred digital institutions.
As part of activities marking the event, the institute organised a medical outreach in partnership with the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, where members of the public were screened for hepatitis, high blood pressure and other ailments.
The conference also featured panel discussions on digital governance, skill gaps between public and private sectors, as well as awards presented to distinguished recipients.
