Business
Jonathan Declares National Productivity Day
President Goodluck
Jonathan
last Thursday honoured 20 personalities and 11 organisations with the National
Productivity Order of Merit Awards, as he declared the third Thursday of
August, National Productivity Day (NPD).
“I hereby declare the third Thursday of August every year as
National Productivity Day to be observed and celebrated simultaneously all over
the country.
“ The Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the
National Productivity Centre in particular, shall ensure implementation of the
directive’’.
The President who was represented on the occasion by the
Secretary to the Government of the Federal (SGF), Sen. Pius Ayim Pius, directed
the Ministry of Labour and Productivity to ensure implementation of the
directive.
He said that the observance of the NPD all over the country
was to demonstrate the firm belief in the cardinal role of productivity in
National development.
“This occasion once again helps us to redirect our minds to
the need to work harder and smarter to build a strong national economy.
“This ceremony, especially the conferment of the award,
raises our hope for a brighter Nigeria.
Jonathan explained that Nigeria had every reason to be a
great nation given the abundance of human and natural resources that abound in
the country.
He stressed the need for Nigerians not to be deceived by the
assumption that the requirement for greatness was the abundance of human and
natural resources.
He noted that only nations that were highly productive could
determine the global balance of power.
Jonathan stated that there were no shortcuts to economic
greatness, adding that countries that depended on others for their basic needs
were not respected in the comity of nations.
“If we must join the ranks of developed and industrialised
nations, we must commence, immediately, a radical departure from the prevailing
work ethics.
“We must vigorously seek to build a culture of
entrepreneurship in which work and wealth become symbiotic’’.
The Minister of Labour, Chief Emeka Wogu, in his welcome
address, said that productivity was vital to the survival of any nation that
desired significant economic growth and development.
He noted that the level of productivity was the marked
difference between the relative poverty of developing countries and the
national affluence of the developed and industrialised nations.
“Productivity is, therefore, a concept that must be
encouraged and promoted as a national movement and a way of life.
Kenya made it a clean sweep at the Berlin Marathon with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race and Rosemary Wanjiru triumphing in the women’s.
Sawe finished in two hours, two minutes and 16 seconds to make it three wins in his first three marathons.
The 30-year-old, who was victorious at this year’s London Marathon, set a sizzling pace as he left the field behind and ran much of the race surrounded only by his pacesetters.
Japan’s Akasaki Akira came second after a powerful latter half of the race, finishing almost four minutes behind Sawe, while Ethiopia’s Chimdessa Debele followed in third.
“I did my best and I am happy for this performance,” said Sawe.
“I am so happy for this year. I felt well but you cannot change the weather. Next year will be better.”
Sawe had Kelvin Kiptum’s 2023 world record of 2:00:35 in his sights when he reached halfway in 1:00:12, but faded towards the end.
In the women’s race, Wanjiru sped away from the lead pack after 25 kilometers before finishing in 2:21:05.
Ethiopia’s Dera Dida followed three seconds behind Wanjiru, with Azmera Gebru, also of Ethiopia, coming third in 2:21:29.
Wanjiru’s time was 12 minutes slower than compatriot Ruth Chepng’etich’s world record of 2:09:56, which she set in Chicago in 2024.