Vice President Kashim Shettima, has reaffirmed the resolve of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to remodel the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) into a globally recognised centre of excellence gradually driven and financially stable by 2030.
According to him, apart from serving as the most strategic platform for developing thinkers, reformers, and innovators in Nigeria, the institute’s Senior Executive Course represented a deliberate investment in the nation’s future leadership as well as a meeting point for ideas that defined policy, guide reform, and influence the course of national development.
According to his spokesman, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima stated this on Saturday when he represented President Tinubu at the Graduation Ceremony of Senior Executive Course 47 of NIPSS in Kuru, Plateau State.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has been unequivocal in his commitment to supporting NIPSS in its transformation agenda, particularly its ambition to become a digitally driven, financially stable, and globally recognised centre of excellence by 2030.
“We recognise the Institute’s critical role in shaping national policy and in building the leadership capacity required to navigate an increasingly complex world,” he declared.
He noted that the support the Tinubu administration was giving to transform the institute exceeded funding, infrastructure and conducive research environment.
He said, “Our support must therefore go beyond funding, infrastructure, and a conducive research environment. It must ensure that NIPSS produces implementation ready policy papers and that its outputs are fully integrated into national decision making and execution frameworks.”
He applauded the theme of the Senior Executive Course 47, “Blue Economy and Sustainable Development in Nigeria,” saying it was a reflection of the urgency with remarkable clarity, and “captures the reality that development, security, environmental stewardship, and social inclusion are inseparable.”
Shettima however observed that the strength of the academic work did not depend only on its academic depth, “but in its insistence that policy must be practical, implementable, and firmly grounded in Nigeria’s realities.”
Commending the graduands, the Vice President said “We are grateful for your sustained and rigorous enquiries into the affairs of the maritime domain, enquiries that continue to provide the nation with insights it depends upon.
“Your latest research makes it clear that securing Nigeria’s waterways, coastlines, and inland communities goes far beyond safety alone. It speaks to livelihoods, food security, environmental protection, and national cohesion. When young people have productive work, when communities trust the state, and when institutions coordinate effectively, insecurity loses its oxygen.”
Assuring that the Tinubu administration takes evidence based policymaking very seriously, the Vice President said he had already directed relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to give the report and recommendations of the graduands the close attention they deserve, both for immediate application and for long term strategic planning.”
He thanked the Director General, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, the management and staff of NIPSS, for what he described as their dedication, professionalism, and unflicnhing commitment, which he said has continued “to uphold NIPSS as the nation’s foremost centre for strategic thought and leadership development.”
He also hailed Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and people of the state for continuing to support NIPSS by sustaining the peaceful environment that has enabled the “Institute to function as a true national asset.”
Earlier, Governor Mutfwang applauded the Federal Government’s support to the institute, particularly in facilitating the hitch-free completion of its academic programmes as well as the execution of its other strategic projects and mandate.
