It was recorded that on Wednesday 27th January, 2021, Mr. Edet Sunday Akpan, the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) became the first-ever Permanent Secretary of the Ministry to go on a working visit to the Agencies under FMST.
As done earlier, the Agencies often go to the Permanent Secretary for briefing and presentation of documents on his/her assumption of office. Mr. Edet Sunday on his part sees it as a necessity to take a tour round the Agencies which will give him a better working relationship with the Agencies and know how they are faring.
On arrival to the Institute, the Director-General/CEO of the Nigerian Building and Road Research Institute Prof. Samson Duna and Management Staff received the Permanent Secretary and his team with a warm welcome and the DG/CEO led the Permanent Secretary and his team on a tour through the facilities of the Institute where they were taken to the various laboratories and display centre to see the different machines in NBRRI.
Welcoming the Permanent Secretary, Prof. Samson Duna expressed his joy and appreciation to the Permanent Secretary for finding time out of his busy schedule to visit NBRRI. He briefed the Perm Sec on the mandate of NBRRI, various research findings NBRRI has done and still doing, the locations of NBRRI’s Zonal Offices and their functions, the NBRRI Artisan Training Centre, Pozzolana Plants, Skills Centres and many more.
In response, the Permanent Secretary appreciated the DG and Staff of NBRRI for the warm welcome he got. He stated that the main reason for his visit is to know how far the Institute is carrying out its functions based on its mandate and to discuss on how the Ministry through his office can have a better working relationship with the Institute to improve research in the country.
Further, he encouraged the Institute to work with the Ministry as a team as he acknowledged the great work NBRRI has done in areas of R&Ds. He then stated that research is very important in the country and should be taken as the number one priority.
He also encouraged the Institute to have a well-established nominal role of staff. Finally, he encouraged the DG to make sure that NBRRI is a conduce and knowledge-based environment which will boost the working output on Staff.