*Satisfied With Dedication To Performance Bond for Ministerial Deliverables
*Academy’s Directors, Heads Sign Bond
By our reporter
For the good work he is doing in delivering on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Prince Adegboyega Oyetola, has lauded the Acting Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Dr. Kevin Okonna.
He particularly commended him for his commitment towards effectively implementing the Performance Management System (PMS) reform of the Federal Government in the nation’s maritime institution.
These were contained in a statement today by the Academy’s Head of Public Affairs, Domo Umoekpe.
Speaking during a two-day Management Retreat and Ministerial Handholding Session for PMS and the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) held in the Academy, the Minister, who was represented by the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) in the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Hajia Ibrahim Kalthum, stated that the retreat was aimed at driving successful implementation of the PMS and ECMS in the Academy.
According to the Minister, the Ministry embarked on both key reforms to strengthen performance, promote accountability and digital transformation across all its agencies in line with the strategic vision of the Renewed Hope Agenda for Nigerians.
The Minister said: “The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has, in alignment with the vision of His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, embarked on a comprehensive reform agenda aimed at strengthening performance, accountability, and digital transformation across all its agencies.
“The Maritime Academy of Nigeria, as Nigeria’s foremost maritime education and training institution, must lead by example in embracing these reforms, and the Ministry is glad that the Academy is taking these key reforms seriously.”
Asserting that the PMS and ECMS are fully operational in the Ministry, Prince Oyetola said that while the PMS strategically aligns every staff and department to deliver on the Ministry’s mandate and Academy’s core objectives, the ECMS, on the other hand, streamlines and digitalises records, processes, and workflows, thereby promoting efficiency, transparency, and timely decision-making.
He emphasised that the PMS was not merely about staff appraisals but fundamentally about strategic execution of tasks, pointing out that goals are cascaded seamlessly from the national level to institutional, departmental and finally to individual levels.
Furthermore, the Minister said: “Staff performance is assessed objectively using well-defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) while capacity gaps are identified and addressed through targeted training and development.”
For the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, he noted, the reforms will translate into improved training outcomes, global competitiveness, and enhanced service delivery to cadets, seafarers, and stakeholders in the maritime industry.
“The Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) represents a collective march towards digital transformation, records will no longer be buried in physical files but digitally stored and easily retrieved. Processes will be streamlined, cutting down inefficiencies and delays. Inter-departmental collaboration will be seamless. Data integrity and institutional memory will be preserved for future generations.
“This is particularly important for the Academy as it seeks international recognition, accreditation, and compliance with global maritime standards,” the Minister stressed.
“I wish to urge the Acting Rector to constitute Performance Management System (PMS) champions who will help the Management drive the effective implementation of this new system.
“These champions should be visible with dedicated T-shirts and caps, and a special day set aside for PMS awareness, just as we have done in the Ministry, where every Thursday our champions wear the PMS uniform and go round creating awareness as every officer must take responsibility for results, be accountable, be champions of digitalisation, move away from old habits of paperwork and embrace technology, and collaboration,” he said.
Prince Oyetola maintained that transformation thrives when leadership and staff work row in same direction, assuring that the Ministry will continue to provide the Academy with oversight, technical support, and periodic reviews to ensure the success of the reforms.
Academy Rector Speaks, Lists Institution’s Recent Achievements
Also speaking, the Acting Rector, Dr. Okonna lauded for his exceptional leadership strides which, he noted, were evident in the Ministry’s outstanding scores in the rating of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, CRDCU, of Ministerial Performance in the Presidential Priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The Academy’s helmsman listed few of the institution’s contributions to the Ministry’s deliverables in 2024 to include the training of 4,775 seafarers and dockworkers; provision of laptops and desktops to more staff to improve productivity; increased staff capacity building drive to promote expertise and improve standards; implementation of the PMS to promote accountability, and others.
Pledging the Academy’s continuous dedication to contributing its quota to the Ministerial deliverables, the acting Rector referenced the significant role the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy played in helping the Academy secure positive responses from shipping companies and associations, for onboard training opportunities for the Academy’s cadets.
On maintenance of standards of safety courses on offer in the Academy, the acting Rector disclosed that the Academy is effectively collaborating with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA) in that wise.
He added that the Academy would soon sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Abuja MoU on Port State Control for West and Central Africa Region, in respect to a course it (Academy) developed to enhance deliverables in the sub-region.
He added that management has taken necessary steps to get the institution’s Nautical Science cadets registered with the Institute of Nautical Studies, the Engineering cadets similarly registered with the Institute of Marine Engineers, Science and Technologists (IMarEST), while the Maritime Transport cadets were registered with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria.
According to him, the specialized professional moves were targeted towards ensuring that all cadets of the Academy derive tremendous benefits of membership of these professional bodies.
He also promised to deploy required resources towards the full deployment of the ECMS in the Academy, saying “I am proud to celebrate the Honourable Minister, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, for his ingenuity at administering the affairs of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, as the Ministry continues to record the highest score in the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit’s (CRDCU) rating of Ministerial Performance in the Presidential Priorities of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.”
“I also appreciate the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Oloruntola, and the hard work of the Director, Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS), Hajia Kalthum Ibrahim and the other PMS/ECMS Implementation Team Members for their contributions in ensuring that the Ministry maintains its leadership role in delivering on its mandate towards the achievement of the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda for Nigerians. I am confident that this retreat will enhance the capacity of the Academy’s Management to deliver on the 2025 Academy’s deliverables as part of the Ministry’s deliverables for the assigned presidential priorities,” Dr. Okonna added.
The highpoint of the event was the signing of the 2025 Departmental Performance Bond by Directors and Heads of Departments with the acting Rector in the presence of the representative of the Minister, Hajia Kalthum.
PHOTO CAPTION: Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Prince Oyetola.
