Malam Ali Muhammad Ali, the newly appointed Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), says the agency will witness greater efficiency in the coming years. Ali spoke on Saturday at the closing of a three-day Strategic Foresight Management Retreat for NAN in collaboration with Paragon Link Consulting held in Kaduna. ‘The last three days we spent here, we are looking at the history of NAN, vision and mission and the reason why NAN is in business, the challenges, and impediment?. ‘We realised that we need to have new revenue streams for the agency. What we have been taught is that for us to make headway, we must have two things, impact and revenue,’ he said. Ali said the agency had impacted over the years but had challenges with revenue, adding that the management was looking to diversify ways of generating revenue. The managing director explained that the retreat had enlightened the management on the importance of cross- collaboration between various departments of the agency, stressing that they were not competitors. The management, he said, hoped to expand the strategic retreat for the entire agency at the top, to the zones and to the districts in the first quarter of next year. ‘We are going to look into some of the revenues unexploited and leverage on technology; We are going to have the right training and the right attitude’. He also appreciated the uncommon commitment of the participants, saying, ‘this is much commendable at this critical time with a deluge of end-of-year activities. Ali said the the retreat availed the participants opportunities to brainstorm on how to move the agency forward. ‘We want to see a reborn NAN. I appreciate the support of the management and the members of the agency. ‘I must also commend the show of solidarity and mutual respect. Together, there is nothing that we cannot achieve, but it is difficult if we are alone,’ he said. Earlier, the Editor-in-Chief, Mr Ephraims Sheyin said the tide has changed in NAN, adding that the editorial department would be working closely with other departments to achieve the set goals. ‘We have to work very closely practically with all the units of the agency. We have been fully prepared for the arduous task ahead. ‘We have to set targets and do everything humanly possible to ensure that they are diligently met. We will also intensify internal communication. ‘We will all change. I will cascade the knowledge acquired here and we spoke as adults and professionals,’ Sheyin said. Also speaking, the Director, Administration and Human Resources, Malam Abdulhadi Khaliel, assured that all the knowledge learnt during the retreat would be put to proper use, urging the staff to work together as a team. He said, ‘The only way we can thank the managing director is by giving assurance of putting to use what we have learnt here. ‘We are leaving here as a bonded group unlike how we came in. We will go back and pursue the targets and goals we set for ourselves’. Other management staff at the retreat appreciated the managing director for the gesture, saying that it had given them a new approach to the work.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria