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Recent economic indicators concerning the Nigerian Economy portend some dangers that if left unaddressed could lead to another wave of economic meltdown thus reversing all the efforts put in place by the current administration to rejuvenate our economy. Without the active participation of various professionals, it is impossible for government to deliver the gains of democracy like the advanced democracies.
However, it is clear that professionalism in our country has been on the declined in recent times as the lure to corrupt practices and unethical conduct has derailed many professionals from the path of honour in both public and private sectors. In other words, professionalism is consistently compromised. This does not go well for the growth of the economy.
Professionals and professionalism
Professional bodies are organisations whose members are individual professionals. In some professions like Law, it is compulsory to be a member of the professional body for you to practice, while in some others, like Procurement and Supply Chain it is not. This usually depends on whether or not the profession requires the professional to have a ‘licence to practice’, or to be on a professional register, in order to do their job. It is related to how the profession is regulated i.e. who is responsible for making sure that professionals are doing their jobs properly.
A Professional is a person who follows an occupation or calling together with other people who have the same calling. It assumes some form of educational experience. Professionals use their knowledge and skills to earn their living. They work hard, serve other people and are depended upon for their good judgment because they provide thoughtful technical insights. With the rise of the information age, professionals have gained increased social importance and they are part of the back bone of any modern economy.
In similar vein, Professionalism entails possessing specialist knowledge and following a standard operating procedure based on ethics that govern their practice.
Professionals provide essential and valuable services to any society. It is for this reason that the public depends on them more and more as economies advance. Therefore, professional status is an implied social contract to deliver near perfect service. In this regard, a professional carries additional moral responsibility and is honest, objective, and impartial with high integrity.
Professionals’ contributions
The contributions of professionals in the development of any society cannot be over emphasised. Professionals bridge the knowledge gap in the Society by applying their technical knowledge to solving societal developmental challenges. Professionals could be well placed to play a wider role in the country’s economy, politics, civil society etc. They help generate wealth, sustain prosperity and competitiveness of local economy as well as help political leaders initiate policies and legislations.
Supporting capacities for economic development
Professionals are well known for their role in supporting capacities for socio economic development. They make contributions in several ways. Professionals deploy their capacity to assess situation and define vision and mandate; Support public administration reforms including the Public Procurement Act of 2007; Capacity to link local development processes to national strategies; Capacity to budget, manage and implement; Capacity to manage for better service delivery; Capacity to develop local leadership; Mobilise resources and develop partnerships; Capacity to create multi-disciplinary teams; and Capacity to work as a collective body.
What is economic development?
Economic development is a sustainable increase in living standards that implies increased per capita income, better education and health as well as environmental protection. The economic development process supposes that the legal and institutional adjustments are made to give incentives for innovation and for investments so as to develop an efficient production and distribution for goods and services.
Economic activities
In elementary Economics, we know that economic activities are classified into three major parts namely primary sector, secondary sector and tertiary sector. For each of these sectors to work productively ad sustainably, the role of professionals is paramount.
Primary sector
Simply speaking primary sector refers to that sector of the economy which uses natural resource to produce goods. Natural factors play crucial role in the production process. Agriculture and allied activities like mining, fishery, forestry, dairy and poultry are included in this sector.
Secondary sector
Secondary sector is also called manufacturing sector or industrial sector. The sector which transforms one physical good into another is called secondary sector. The manufacturing, electricity, gas, water supply etc. are included in this sector.
Tertiary sector:
The service sector of the economy is called tertiary sector. Services of various kinds like education, health, banking, insurance, trade and transport are included in this sector. In advanced countries, the contribution of tertiary sector to national income is the highest.
How can we get there?
Previous efforts of governments geared towards achieving economic development had relied on the use foreign aid, investment in machines, fostering education at the primary and secondary levels, controlling population growth, and giving loans and debt relief on reforms to stimulate the economic with a view to achieving self sufficiency. These efforts have not yielded much. It is my candid opinion that the active participation of more professionals in the development process will harmonise all efforts to achieve the desired results.
Being excerpt from a speech presented Ajayi Alfred Agboola, Esq, deputy governor of Ondo State at the 2019 Summit of Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply, Nigeria Branch held at Radisson Blue Ikeja on April 17, 2019.
Ajayi Alfred Agboola
