NIWA holds special retreats, charges staff on productivity

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has organised a two-day special retreat/workshop for its staff, where the Managing Director, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, charged them to enhance their productivity to fulfill President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision for NIWA.

The retreat, held in Lokoja, Kogi State on Tuesday, had the theme “Repositioning the Inland Waterways Authority for Excellence.”

In his address, Mr. Oyebamiji stated that the special retreat/workshop aimed to add value to the system through diverse contributions, including designing policy directions and implementing them to achieve the desired results.

“Dear participants, our presence here today is not a coincidence. We are all here to add value to the system in various ways. While some are designated to design policy directions, others are chosen to be the drivers of these policies.

“I liken these two groups to the main teams piloting a ship on a journey. Some hold the deck, while others ensure the engines below run at their utmost performance. The ultimate goal is to achieve excellence at sea.

“Therefore, our assignment at this retreat is to discuss and create a working template upon which Mr President’s aspirations for Inland Waterways, through the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, will be achieved.

“As I mentioned about three months ago in my inaugural address to the management and staff of the Authority, the objectives of NIWA are achievable, and with our collective determination, they will be achieved.

“However, all of us must be willing to play our roles as expected. So, I charge all the General Managers, Deputy General Managers, and the Area Managers to brace up for the work ahead,” he said.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Mrs. Magdalene Ajani, in her speech, urged the participants to seize the opportunities to gain knowledge that will enable them to achieve the set objectives for the Authority.

Mrs Ajani reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to achieving goals and objectives through a Performance Management System (PMS).

She added that all staff must allocate at least 25 per cent to the Minister, 25 per cent to NIWA, and 50 per cent to the Head of Service of the Federation.