Kano DMCSA, C4SD Hold Three-Day Capacity-Building Workshop for Warehouse and Unskilled Staff

By Margaret Titus 

The Kano State Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCSA), in collaboration with Capacity 4 Sustainable Development (C4SD), has organized a three-day capacity-building workshop for her warehouse and other technical staff on “Strengthening Warehouse Operations, and Inventory Integrity.”

The workshop, which further included a one-day training for unskilled staff on ‘Roles, Responsibilities and Standard work ethics’, was designed to enhance the knowledge and skills of warehouse personnel while strengthening operational efficiency, inventory management, accountability, and traceability across the Agency’s warehouse operations, as well as better knowledge of job roles.

Declaring the workshop open, the Director General of DMCSA, Pharm. Gali Sule, emphasised the importance of regular capacity-building programmes, noting that regulatory bodies consider continuous staff training and development as a core requirement when assessing Drug Management Agencies (DMAs) across the country.

He, therefore, urged the organisers and participants to ensure that the training was properly documented as evidence of the Agency’s commitment to continuous professional development and improved warehouse operations.

Pharm. Sule further charged participants to actively engage in the training and, more importantly, apply the knowledge and skills acquired to their daily responsibilities in order to improve efficiency and service delivery.

In her welcome address, the Director Admin and General Services, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar Magashi, urged participants to take full advantage of the opportunity to acquire new knowledge, participate actively in the sessions, and seek clarification whenever they encounter areas they need more clarification. She expressed appreciation to C4SD for their support and contribution towards strengthening the capacity of DMCSA work force.

Also speaking, the Director of Drugs and Supply, Pharm. Salisu Hashim Muhammad, affirmed the workshop would enhance visibility, strengthen service-delivery efficiency, promote accountability, and improve job satisfaction among warehouse personnel. He expressed delight and commended C4SD for the initiative, describing it as timely and will be impactful to DMCSA staff.

In his submission, the Kano State Lead of C4SD, Pharm. Amos, disclosed that the training was organised following a capacity gap needs assessment conducted for DMCSA staff. He explained that the findings of the assessment informed the development of the training modules, ensuring that the sessions addressed identified capacity gaps and operational needs.

Delivering the closing remarks, the Technical Adviser to DMCSA, Pharm. Tukur Ibrahim, emphasised the importance of capacity-building workshops . Citing himself as an example, he noted that he had gained valuable knowledge from the day’s session, underscoring the practical benefits of the training to participants.

The first-day module focused on the Warehousing Domain, covering key areas such as Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Tracking, Inventory Management, and Batch Management and Traceability.

The sessions featured presentations and practical exercises, including “Introduction and Overview of Warehousing,” delivered by Pharm. Salisu Hashim Muhammad, and “KPI Tracking,” facilitated by Peter Albert and Olakunle Adekinya of the Kaizen Institute. The resource persons also conducted practical exercises to enable participants apply the concepts, techniques, and tools discussed during the sessions.

The second-day module, however, focused on Inventory Management, Batch Management and Traceability, Warehouse Hands-on Practical, and Endline Knowledge Assessment.

The third-day session was facilitated by Nasiru Muhammad of C4SD, who delivered a comprehensive presentation on the roles, responsibilities, dos and don’ts of unskilled employees, including pickers, drivers, loaders, messengers and cleaners.

The three-day workshop concluded with action plan development and identifying key steps for the way forward, aimed at ensuring that the knowledge and skills acquired are effectively translated into improved warehouse operations and inventory integrity.