President Goodluck Jonathan will tomorrow confer the National Productivity Order of Merit (NPOM) Award on 20 deserving Nigerians and 10 organisations. Deputy National President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),  Comrade Promise Adewusi; former Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin and Chairman Federal Character Commission, Professor Shuaiu Oba Abdulraheem and the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria, Ibadan, are among the recipients.

Addressing a press conference on the 13th National Productivity Day and Conferment of National Productivity Order of Merit Award in Abuja on Monday, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, said the 20 individual awardees and the 10 organisations had been carefully selected after a thorough screening exercise by the Award Committee, for the 13th National Productivity Day and Conferment of National Productivity Order of Merit Award.

He pointed out that the awardees were drawn from all sectors of the economy for this year’s NPOM Award, adding that the observance of the National Productivity Day and the award conferment was one of the positive steps by government to stimulate the psyche of Nigerians towards redirecting their efforts to the growth and development of the country.

According to the minister, no nation can enhance the quality of life of its citizenry, as well as be self reliant and competitive in the international market without productivity improvement in all sectors of its economy.

Chief Wogu emphasised that productivity was indeed the most important determinant of socio-economic growth, wealth creation, employment generation and overall improved standard of living.

Given this cardinal role of productivity, the minister said it was imperative that the citizenry be consistently reminded on the need for developing a productive mindset that would ensure the growth of all sectors of economy.