INTRODUCTION
The Planning, Research and Statistics Department was set up in compliance with the Civil Service Reform Decree No. 43 of 1988. It is one of the three common Services Departments in all Ministries. It liaises and cooperates with all other Departments in matters relating to policy formulation; data collection, analysis, storage, retrieval and dissemination; programmes/projects design, performance monitoring and evaluation, rolling plan preparation and external relations.
Structure of the Department
The Department has four Divisions namely, Planning; Monitoring & Evaluation; Research and Statistics; and Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Divisions.
Functions of the Department
The Department has the following functions:
i. Plans and implements the Ministry’s programmes in liaison with the National Planning Commission to ensure harmonization;
ii. Monitors, inspects and evaluates the implementation of the Ministry’s key projects and programmes;
iii. Carries out research into critical problem areas of the Ministry’s activities and programmes;
iv. Collects, analyses and manages statistical data generated in the Ministry, the DHQ and the Services, and other sources where applicable;
v. Plays important roles in Coordinating the preparation of annual budgets and rolling plans of the Ministry;
vi. Prepares and produces the Annual Progress Report, Quarterly and Annual Manpower Statistical Report;
vii. Manages records and information resources of the Ministry (Computer Services and Ministry of Defence Integrated Strategic Information and Communication System Project – MODISICS);
viii. Coordinates the Minister’s press briefing to the nation.
ix. Supervises the MOD and HMOD’s Libraries;
x. Sets and monitors performance efficiency targets for the various sub-divisions and Staff as well as operational modalities and management practices of the Ministry;
xi. Oversees the Coordination of HIV/AIDS Programmes for the Ministry including the Armed Forces Programmes on Aids Control (AFPAC), MOD HIV and NMOD-USDOD Collaboration on HIV/ AIDS, and
xii. Liaises with relevant bodies outside the Ministry on Bilateral and Multilateral issues.
Planning Division
The Division is headed by a Deputy Director. The Division is responsible for the following:
i. Development of Plan Programme and Projects in collaboration with the Operational Departments and Services;
ii. Relates with the National Assembly on execution of capital projects;
ii. Liaises with the National Planning Commission
iv. Co-ordinates and produces Periodic Reports which highlight major events in the Ministry;
v. Collaborates with Budget Division in Finance and Account Department in the preparation of the Departmental Budget of the Ministry;
vi. Coordinates the ministerial press briefing.
vii. Liaises with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and Budget and National Planning on matters relating to Bilateral and Multilateral Relations
Project
Monitoring and Evaluation Division
This Division is headed by a Deputy Director. The Division is responsible
for the following:
i. Provides data on Programme/Project Progress and
effectiveness
ii. Monitoring and Evaluation of all Armed Forces capital
Projects nationwide including those belonging to the Parastatals under
MOD;
iii. Coordinates the Annual Joint Monitoring of Projects by
the National Planning Commission, Federal Ministry of Finance, National
Economic Intelligence Committee and PIMGD;
iv, Maintains records on the Status Report on Capital
Projects for future resource allocation; and
i. Liaises with all Departments/Services in data collection
and storage in respect of all projects.
Research
and Statistics Division
The Research and Statistics Division is headed by a Deputy Director and it has
two branches: Research and Statistics.
Statistics
Branch
The Statistics Branch houses the Ministry of Defence Data Bank. The Data Bank
covers such areas as: Nominal Roll, appointment, promotion, retirement,
pension, the Services: Army, Navy and Air Force, it also takes care of
procurement, types of contract and information on all contractors and the
amount involved in all the contracts.
Library Section
The Library Section is being headed by a Deputy Director. The Ministry of Defence Library is a Special Library and Information Resource Centre. It is charged with the responsibility of acquiring, storing and disseminating relevant information resources that support the Ministry’s work and facilitate the achievement of set objectives. The Library is structured into four (4) Units, namely: Technical Unit, Reference Unit, Circulation Unit, and Serial and Government Publications Unit. Apart from the conventional and routine services of acquisition, processing, storing and dissemination of information, the MOD Library also provides the following services to Library Users:-
i. Charging and Discharging of Library documents;
ii. Provision of Indexing and Abstracting Services;
iii. Compilation of Annotated Bibliographies on various subjects;
iv. Photocopying and Reprographic Services;
v. Dissemination Selected of Information;
vi. Provision of Referral Services, and
vii. Provision of Inter Library Loan.
Information, Communication Technology Division (ICT)
The ICT Division is one of the Divisions in Planning, Research and Statistics Department. The Division provides an integrated Management Information System (MIS) to the Ministry and Services (Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force), including the tri-service institutions (Nigerian Defence Academy, Command and Staff College, and the National War College and the Defence Industries Corporation) through Wide Area Network. The Division is headed by an Assistant Director.
Responsibilities
The Division is saddled with the following responsibilities:
i. Liaises with Federal Ministry of Science & Technology, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and National Information Technology development Agency (NITDA) in the formulation of ICT Policies;
ii. Advises the Ministry on its Computerization Projects package;
iii. Oversees all Systems Analysis and Designs (Hardware/Software);
iv. Oversees all Computer Systems and Peripherals maintenance;
v Oversees all Computer Systems installation and Networks (LAN, WAN etc);
vi Supervises all In-House Computer Training and
vii. Liaises with M/S Galaxy Backbone PLC, M/S Microsoft and other Agencies to update MOD Computerization Project.
The Department within the period under review recorded the following achievements.
- It engaged in a number of proactive strategies to produce, process, store and retrieve data by Ministry of Defence, its Services and Agencies. The outcome of this initiative will help the Ministry to develop and produce the Defence National Statistics compendium.
- The Honourable Minister approved the setting up of a Consultative Committee on National Defence Statistics (CCNDS) to serve as a vehicle for ensuring harmonization and standardization of the Ministry of Defence National Statistics and facilitate its drive for the reinvigoration of the Statistical activities in the Ministry, its Services, Agencies and Parastatals. The Planning, Research and Statistics Department has been actively involved in this process.
- Also, the Department successfully monitored Capital Projects in the Ministry, its Services and other Agencies under it to ascertain projects execution status and to further ensure their conformity with contract schedules. The Report of this nationwide exercise had been produced and circulated to the Defence Headquarters, the Tri-service and other Agencies under the Ministry. The Ministry is presently collating and also expecting some other observations and comments arising from the Report from its Services.
- The Department is also participating actively on the Digitization of the Ministry’s records in line with the Federal Civil Strategic Plan (FCSSP).
- Towards enhancing the computer literacy level of its staff, the Ministry of Defence has just refurbished the Information and Communication Training Centre (ICT) has commenced the computer/ICT training in earnest . Similarly, the on-going upgrade of the ICT infrastructure of the Ministry by Galaxy Backbone has attained about 80% stage of completion.
- On policy direction, the Department through the Steering Committee that was inaugurated by the Honourable Minister has successfully produced policy document on the Roles of Stakeholders and Strategic Plans to drive the 2017 Nigerian National Defence Policy. The Defence Policy is presently awaiting public presentation and launch by Mr. President.
- The compilation of the status of capital project by the Planning, Research and Statistics Department from 2015 to date has been forwarded to the Office of the Vice President and Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
- The Ministry through the Planning Research and Statistics Department has recently hosted the Security Governance Initiative (SGI). The hosting later heralded the merger of the SGI and the Vertically Integrated Logistics Approach (VILA).
