The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has concluded its 2025 management retreat in Kogi State, with a renewed commitment to improving revenue generation, enforcing accountability, and enhancing operational efficiency.
The two-day retreat, which took place on February 8 and 9, 2025, brought together key stakeholders, including the minister of marine and blue economy, the chairman of the house committee on inland waterways, the NIWA board, management staff, and security personnel. Discussions focused on reviewing the authority’s 2024 performance and setting strategic goals for 2025.
Speaking at the event, the managing director of NIWA, Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, expressed concerns over the underperformance of some area offices, noting that some recorded as little as one or two million naira in annual revenue. He described the situation as unacceptable despite the provision of resources, incentives, and training opportunities.
“This situation is simply unacceptable. Despite management’s efforts to support performance, the expected results were not achieved. Moving forward, stricter measures will be enforced to ensure accountability and drive performance,” he stated.
He also addressed challenges in debt recovery, revealing that many area managers had failed to cooperate with the debt recovery consultant appointed in 2024. In some cases, debtors were untraceable, while others provided inconsistent financial records, making the recovery process difficult. He warned that such attitudes towards financial accountability would no longer be tolerated.
With new government directives under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of honourable minister Gboyega Oyetola, NIWA has been assigned additional responsibilities. These include increased revenue remittances from the port development levy, enhanced service delivery, and improved collaboration with sister agencies within the marine and blue economy sector.
Oyebamiji emphasized that the retreat not only reviewed past performance but also focused on capacity building, teamwork, and innovation to ensure that every officer is equipped to meet the set goals.
“This retreat was not just about evaluating past performance; it was about strategizing for the future. I encouraged all participants to engage actively, exchange ideas, and work collectively towards making NIWA a leading agency in the marine and blue economy sector,” he said.
The retreat featured panel discussions, training sessions, and interactive engagements aimed at strengthening NIWA’s operational framework and fostering a culture of efficiency, accountability, and innovation.