Rebecca Ejifoma
As Nigeria grapples with its second recession in a decade, the Chartered Institute of Human Resources and Strategic Management (CIHRSM) has highlighted the importance of human resources as solution to such economic challenge.
Speaking recently at the CIHRSM annual conference and investiture in Lagos, the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of CIHRSM, Mr. Minna Abell, stressed that the nation needs strategic management skills to move her out of its current economic situation.
Dwelling on the theme of the conference, “Managing Recession: Human Resources and Strategic Management Perspective”, Abell said: “The choice of the theme was as a result of the global recession.
“To come out of recession, the country must learn to apply human resources and strategic management skills in most of the things we are doing in every organisation. This will minimise the risk of wastage in time and financial factors.”
He argued that employing people in areas they have no knowledge of, often reduces their productivity, adding that no one can grow that way.
According to him, “placing somebody with a particular professional skill in the wrong workspace is where Nigeria is lagging behind; no professionalism.”
The registrar, however, suggested that both the public and private sector must adopt cost-cutting measures as part of the ways towards exiting current recession.
“To cut cost, professionals must work in their areas of expertise. This is where human resources managers come in”, Abell noted
He noted that this simple step would minimise the risk of wastage of time, manpower and finances, and reduce accidents.
Abell further described human resources and strategic management as a profession that has come to enlighten people on how to manage their professional skills, so that their time and interpersonal relationship with their bosses or subordinates could be managed.
In his keynote presentation, the guest speaker and President/Chairman of Council, CIHRSM, Prof. Ben Oghojafor, stressed the importance of human relations for the development of a nation.
Represented by Dr. Augustine Agugua, of the Department of Sociology, University of Lagos,
Oghojafor, said: “There is the need to stress the importance of the human factor, especially human relations from the point of view of management sciences.
“There is no way a nation can move forward when these human resources are in deficit.”
The institute, at the occasion, inducted 80 fellows, 89 members, 100 associate members, and 180 graduate members, who were charged to go and be ambassadors of the institute and the nation.
