ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS
SECTION
1. Establishment of the Centre.
2. Objectives and functions of the Centre.
3. Establishment of the Governing Council, etc.
4. Membership of Council.
5. Appointment of the Director-General of the Centre.
6. Appointment of other staff of the Centre.
7. Service in the Centre to be pensionable.
8. Financial provisions.
9. Borrowing powers.
10. Power to invest fund.
11. Estimates of income and expenditure.
12. Audited account.
13. Annual report.
15. Staff regulations.
16. Interpretation.
17. Short title.
SCHEDULE
Supplementary provisions relating to the Council
An Act to establish the Centre for Economic Management and Administration to serve primarily, as a training centre for economic planners, budget and project officers at the Federal, State and local government levels and other matters ancillary thereto.
[1989 No. 51.]
[22nd May, 1986] [Commencement.]
1. Establishment of the Centre
(1) There is hereby established a body to be known as the National Centre for Economic Management and Administration (in this Act referred to as “the Centre”) which shall have the functions assigned to it by this Act.
(2) The Centre shall be a body corporate, with perpetual succession and a common seal and may sue and be sued in its corporate name.
2. Objectives and functions of the Centre
(1) The Centre shall-
(a) serve primarily as a training centre for economic planners, budget and project officers at the Federal, State and local government levels;
(b) develop and strengthen specific skills, as will enhance the quality of management of the national economy at the micro and sectoral levels;
(c) be a policy laboratory for vigorous and sustained development and promotion of highly specialised skills required for enhancing efficient and effective planning and management of the Nigerian economy;
(d) organise and conduct specialised training courses and programmes designed to strengthen the capability of senior public functionaries in the formulation, analysis, implementation and monitoring of economic development plans, budgets and policies;
(e) organise and conduct courses, workshops and seminars, which address specific aggregate macro, sectoral and micro economic issues of interest and concern to all levels of government and combinations thereof;
(f) undertake, commission and participate in in-depth research, studies and consultancy services in relevant fields to-
(i) improve the quality and coverage of courses and programmes of the Centre;
(ii) enhance the understanding of the workings of the Nigerian economy at macro, sectoral and micro level of analysis;
(iii) cater for national and specific organisational objectives;
(g) Issue certificates of merit and attendance to successful participants at the
Centre.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, the courses and programme to be organised and conducted by the Centre shall include-
(a) economic planning, including planning techniques, project evaluation and selection, plan implementation and monitoring;
(b) economic policy formulation and analysis, including policy formulation techniques, impact analysis, policy implementation and monitoring; and
(c) the use of high-technology computational facilities in economic planning and management.
3. Establishment of the Governing Council, etc.
(1) There shall be established for the Centre, a Governing Council (in this Act referred to as “the Council”) which shall provide the general policy guidelines, for the day-to-day administration of the affairs of the Centre.
(2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1) of this section, it shall be the responsibility of the Council to-
(a) consider and approve for the Centre, its-
(i) long-range plan of activities;
(ii) programme of studies and research to be undertaken;
(iii) annual budget; and
(iv) investment plans;
(b) advise the Minister on policies, plans and programme for effective planning and management of the Nigerian economy for sustained development;
(c) establish and maintain for research purposes and for other purposes connected with the functions conferred on the Centre by or pursuant to this Act an up-to-date library, comprising reports and other publications for the advancement of knowledge in the area of work undertaken by it;
(d) provide for and support the publication and effective dissemination of materials and ideas in areas connected with the functions conferred on the Centre by or pursuant to this Act;
(e) enter into such contracts as may be necessary or expedient for carrying into effect the provisions of this Act;
(f) acquire and hold such movable and immovable property as may be necessary or expedient for carrying into effect the provisions of this Act and for the same purpose may sell, lease, mortgage, or otherwise allocate or dispose of any property acquired or held by the Centre and no longer required by the Centre; and
(g) carry out such other activities as are necessary and expedient for the full discharge of any of the functions conferred on the Council under or pursuant to this Act.
4. Membership of Council
(1) The Council shall consist of a chairman to be appointed by the President on the advice of the Minister and the following other members, that is-
(a) the Director-General of the Centre;
(b) the Director, Ministry of Budget and Planning;
(c) the Director of Research, Central Bank of Nigeria;
(d) the Director-General of each of the following bodies-
(i) Manpower Development Department, Federal Civil Service Commission or his representative;
(ii) Federal Ministry of Finance or his representative;
(e) Director-General, Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research;
(f) one representative of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture;
(g) one eminent scholar in economics, representing the interest of the universities, to be appointed by the Minister; and
(h) one person with experience in national economic management, to represent interests not otherwise represented in this subsection, to be appointed by the Minister.
(2) Subject to subsections (3) and (4) of this section, a person appointed as a member of the Council (not being an ex-officio member) shall serve for a period of three years and shall be eligible for reappointment for one further period of three years.
(3) The Minister may remove from office, a member of the Council (not being an ex-officio member) if he is satisfied that it is not in the interest of the Centre that the person concerned should continue in office.
(4) A member of the Council may resign his office by notice in writing, under his hand, addressed to the Minister.
(5) The supplementary provisions contained in the Schedule to this Act, shall have effect with respect to the proceedings of the Council and the other matters mentioned therein.
5. Appointment of the Director-General of the Centre
(1) There shall be appointed by the President, on the recommendation of the Minister, a DirectorGeneral for the Centre.
(2) The Director-General shall be the Chief Executive of the Centre and shall be responsible to the Council for detailed management of the affairs of the Centre.
(3) The Director-General shall hold office on such terms and conditions as may be specified in his letter of appointment.
6. Appointment of other staff of the Centre
(1) There shall be appointed by the Council, the following officers for the Centre, that is-
(a) a secretary and Director of personnel;
(b a Director of each of the training departments;
(c) a Director of research;
(d) a Director of finance and supplies.
(2) The secretary and Director of personnel shall be responsible to the Director-General of the Centre, for the day-to-day administration and for the finances of the Centre.
(3) The Director of training shall be responsible to the Director-General of the Centre for organising and conducting the training courses, programmes, seminars and workshops and other studies undertaken by the Centre, including the collation and publication of course materials and other publications relating thereto.
(4) The Director of research shall be responsible to the Director-General of the Centre for the proper management of the finance and materials of the Centre.
(6) The Council may, from time to time, appoint such other staff as may be required for the purposes of the efficient performance of the functions conferred on the Centre under this Act.
(7) The officers and other employees of the Centre (other than the Director-General) shall hold office on such terms and conditions as apply in similar organisations and as may be specified by the Council after consultation with the Minister.
7. Service in the Centre to be pensionable
(1) Service at the Centre shall be approved service for the purpose of the Pensions Act and, accordingly, officers and other persons employed in the Centre shall be entitled to pensions, gratuities and other retirement benefits as prescribed thereunder.
(2) Nothing in this section shall prevent the appointment of a person on a temporary basis to any office at the Centre, on terms which preclude the grant of a pension and gratuity or other retirement benefit in respect of that office.
(3) For the purposes of the application of the provisions of the Pensions Act, any power exercisable thereunder by a Minister or other authority of the Government of the Federation, other than the power to make regulations under section 23 thereof, is hereby vested in and shall be exercisable by the Council and not by any other person or authority.
8. Financial provisions
(1) The Council shall establish and maintain a fund from which shall be defrayed all expenditures incurred by the Centre.
(2) There shall be paid or credited to the fund established pursuant to subsection (1) of this section-
(a) such sums as may be provided by the Federal Government or a State Government for payment into the fund;
(b) all subscriptions, fees and charges for services rendered by the Centre; and
(c) subject to subsection (3) of this section, all sums accruing to the Centre by way of gifts, testamentary disposition and endowments or contributions from philanthropic persons or organisations or otherwise howsoever.
(3) The Centre may, within and outside Nigeria, accept gifts of land, money or other property upon such terms and conditions, if any, as may be specified by the person or organisation making the gift:
Provided, however, that the Centre shall not accept any gift if the conditions attached by the person or organisation making the gift, to the acceptance thereof, are considered inconsistent with the functions of the Centre or its position as a non-partisan Centre, free from any undue external influence.
9. Borrowing powers
The Centre may, with the consent of or in accordance with the general authority given by the Minister, borrow by way of loan or overdraft from any source, any monies required by the Centre for meeting its obligations and discharging its functions under this Act.
10. Power to invest fund
(1) The Centre may, subject to the provision of this Act and the conditions of any trust created in respect of any property, invest all or any of its funds with the consent or general authority given by the Minister.
(2) The Council may invest any surplus fund of the Centre in such securities as may be approved by the Minister.
11. Estimates of income and expenditure
The Director-General of the Centre shall, not later than 31 October in each year, prepare an estimate of the income and expenditure of the Centre during the next succeeding year and, when so prepared, shall be submitted to the Minister for approval by the President.
12. Audited account
(1) The Council shall cause to be kept, proper accounts and proper records in relation to its income and expenditure and when certified by the Council, such accounts shall be audited as provided in subsection (2) of this section.
(2) The accounts of the Centre shall be audited not later than six months after the end of each year by an auditor appointed by the Council from the list and in accordance with the guidelines supplied by the Auditor-General for the Federation.
13. Annual report
The Council shall, not later than 30 September in each year, prepare and submit to the Minister a report on the activities of the Centre during the immediately preceding year and shall include in such report the audited accounts of the Centre and the Auditor-General’s report thereon.
14. Staff regulations
(1) The Council may, subject to the provisions of this Act, make staff regulations relating generally to the conditions of service of employees of the Centre and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, regulations may provide for-
(a) the appointment, promotion and disciplinary control (including dismissal) of employees of the Centre; and
(b) appeals by such employees against dismissal or other disciplinary measures,
and until such regulations are made, any instrument relating to the conditions of service of public officers of the Federation shall be applicable, with such modifications as may be necessary, to the employees of the Centre.
(2) Staff regulations made under subsection (1) of this section, shall not have effect until approved by the Minister and, when so approved, they need not be published in the Federal Gazette, but the Council shall cause them to be brought to the notice of all affected persons in such manner as it may, from time to time, determine.
15. Interpretation
In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-
“Centre” means the National Centre for Economic Management and Administration established under section 1 of this Act;
“Council” means the Governing Council of the Centre, established by section 3 of this Act;
“chairman” means the chairman of the Council;
“Director-General” means the Director-General of the Centre appointed pursuant to section 5 (1) of this Act;
“member” includes the chairman of the Council; and
“Minister” means the Minister charged with responsibility for matters relating to budget and national planning.
16. Short title
This Act may be cited as the National Centre for Economic Management and Administration Act.
SCHEDULE
[Section 4 (5).]
Supplementary provisions relating to the Council
Proceedings
1. (1) Subject to this Act and to section 27 of the Interpretation Act, the Council may make standing orders regulating the proceedings of the Council or of any committee thereof.
(2) The quorum of the Council shall be the chairman and four other members, the quorum of any committee of the Council shall be determined by the Council.
(3) The Council shall meet not less than three times in each year and subject thereto, the Council shall meet whenever it is summoned by the chairman; and if the chairman is required to do so by notice given to him by not less than three other members, he shall summon a meeting of the Council to be held within fourteen days from the date on which the notice is given.
(4) At any meeting of the Council the chairman shall preside; but if he is absent, the members present at the meeting shall appoint one of their number present at the meeting to preside at that meeting.
(5) Whenever the Council desires to obtain the advice of any person on a particular matter, the Council may co-opt him as a member for such period as it thinks fit; but a person who is a member by virtue of this sub-paragraph shall not be entitled to vote at any meeting of the Council and shall not count towards the quorum.
(6) Notwithstanding anything in the foregoing provisions of this paragraph, the first meeting of the Council shall be summoned by the Minister.
Committees
2. (1) The Council may appoint one or more committees to carry out, on behalf of the Council, such of its functions under this Act as the Council may determine.
(2) A committee appointed under this paragraph shall consist of such number of persons (not necessarily all members of the Council) as may be determined by the Council; and a person other than a member of the Council shall hold office on the committee, in accordance with the terms of his appointment.
(3) A decision of a committee of the Council shall be or no effect until it is confirmed by the Council.
Seal of the Centre
3. (1) The fixing of the seal of the Centre shall be authenticated by the signature of the chairman or some other member authorised generally or specially to act for that purpose by the Council.
(2) Any contract or instrument which, if made or executed by a person not being a body corporate, would not be required to be under seal, may be made or executed on behalf of the Centre by the Director-General of the Centre or any person specially authorised to act for that purpose by the Council.
(3) Any document purporting to be a document duly executed under the seal of the Centre shall be received in evidence and shall, unless the contrary is proved, be presumed to be so executed.
Miscellaneous
4. (1) Members of the Council who are not public officers shall be paid out of the monies at the disposal of the Centre, such remuneration, fees or allowance which shall, in accordance with such scales as may be approved, from time to time, by the Minister.
(2) The validity of any proceedings of the Council or of a committee thereof shall not be adversely affected by any vacancy in the membership of the Council or committee or by any defect in the appointment of a member of the Council or of a committee, or by reason that a person not entitled to do so took part in the proceedings.
(3) Any member of the Council, or any person holding office on a committee of the Council, who has a personal interest in any contract or arrangement, entered into or proposed to be considered by the Council or a committee thereof, shall forthwith disclose his interest to the Council and shall not vote on any question relating to the contract or arrangement.