The Department through the Research and Statistics Division conducts practical policy oriented researches into Foreign Policy issues and other areas in which the Ministry has Jurisdiction. The Division provides in-house consultancy services for the Ministry in respect of its operating modalities, management practices, management audit, monitoring, adherence to and implementation of rules and regulations which have been essential criteria in the Obasanjo Administration’s Policy on performance target for civilians. With obvious shift to computer enabled information technology, the Division has been seized with information dissemination/accessing, networking of our stand-alone computers and linkage of the ministry to our Missions through secured communication.
This Division has effectively embarked on the computerization of the Ministry in phases. At the moment, internet access has been made available to the Hon. Ministers, the Permanent Secretary, Under-Secretaries and Directors. On completion of the computerization plan, the Research & Statistics Division will facilitate data generation, processing, accessing, retrieval and linkage with the National Data Bank when fully functional. The Ministry’s computerization project is still on course and being overseen by the Division. The Research & Statistics Division also examines and analyses policy and position papers with a view of presenting government with viable options.
The Research and Statistics Division is also responsible for organizing the regional Heads of Missions Seminar during which Heads of Mission in the respective regions come together to rub minds on their achievements as the principal representatives of Nigeria in their respective countries of accreditation as well as on the challenges facing the successful implementation of Nigeria’s foreign Policy in these regions. In fact, in the year 2006, the division organized four Regional Heads of Mission Seminars.
The first one was the regional Seminar for Heads of Mission in Africa, which took place at the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State from 1st – 8th April, 2006. The main theme of the Seminar was “Leadership and Dividends of Nigeria’s Policy in Africa”. The main theme of the seminar was “Leadership and Dividends of Nigeria’s Policy in Africa”. The Second Regional Seminar organized by the Division was for Heads of Mission in the Asia, Middle East and the Pacific Region and this was held in New Delhi, India from 19th – 23rd May, 2006. The Seminar had as its main theme “Technology and Industrial Revolution in Asia: Lessons for Nigeria”.
The third Regional Heads of Mission Seminar held was the one for Heads of Mission in the Americas and the Caribbean, which took place in Brazil, from 15th -19th June, 2006. The main theme of the Seminar was “Culture as an Instrument of Foreign Policy”. A fourth Regional Seminar for Heads of Mission in Europe also took place in Berlin, Federal Republic of Germany, from 27th -30th July, 2006 and the main theme of the Seminar was “Image and the Perception of Nigeria in Europe:
The Way Forward for Nigeria”. It is pertinent to mention here that the Regional Seminars held in Obudu Cattle Ranch, New Delhi and Brasilia were personally attended and chaired by the former Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Oluyemi Adeniji, CON, while the one held in berlin was chaired by the former Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
However, in the absence of HMFA, the Permanent Secretary, Ambassador N.U.O Wadiba-Anyanwu OON, mni, has twice at the Obudu Cattle Ranch and in New Delhi, India , chaired the Seminar held in Brasilia, Brazil, and declared it officially closed after the HMFA had left to attend an official meeting in Geneva.