Oron: The Federal Government has called on the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, to implement reforms that will improve performance and accountability within the institution. This directive was issued by Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola, Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, during a two-day Management Retreat in Oron.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the retreat focused on the Ministerial Handholding Session for Performance Management System (PMS) and the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS). Oyetola, represented by Hajia Ibrahim Kalthum, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics in the ministry, emphasized that the retreat aimed to ensure the effective implementation of PMS and ECMS at the academy. These reforms are part of a broader strategy to strengthen performance and promote digital transformation across the ministry’s agencies, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Oyetola highlighted the importance of the academy leading by example as Nigeria’s premier maritime education and training institution. He explained that the PMS aligns staff and departmental objectives with the ministry’s mandate, while the ECMS facilitates streamlined records, processes, and workflows, promoting efficiency and timely decision-making.
He further noted that the performance management system transcends mere staff appraisals, focusing instead on the strategic execution of tasks. Goals are cascaded from the national to the individual level, with staff performance assessed using Key Performance Indicators. Identified capacity gaps are addressed through targeted training.
For MAN, the reforms are expected to result in improved training outcomes, enhanced global competitiveness, and better service delivery for cadets, seafarers, and other stakeholders in the maritime industry. The minister commended Dr. Kevin Okonna, Acting Rector of the Academy, for his dedication to implementing these reforms.
In his presentation, Okonna detailed the academy’s contributions to the ministry’s 2024 deliverables, including the training of 4,775 seafarers and dockworkers and the provision of laptops and desktops to staff to enhance productivity. He also mentioned efforts to increase staff capacity through targeted training initiatives.
Okonna assured that the retreat would bolster the academy’s management capacity to achieve the 2025 deliverables aligned with presidential priorities.