Marine and Blue Economy Ministry holds crucial retreat as Funtua Dry Port nears completion.

Oru Leonard

The Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy has organised a retreat aimed at evaluating its performance index with the set parameters of performance (KPI) established by the federal government.

The retreat, which is underway in Lagos, was aimed at cascading the directive of Mr. President on set targets and goals of the Ministry.

In his opening remarks, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr. Adegboyega Oyetola stated, “This 2023 Ministerial Retreat, is however, unique as it provides us with a platform to relate with ourselves as a sector with a view to understanding our roles as a key sector within the Nigerian Economy, as well as to brainstorm on strategies needed to achieve our mandate and functions.”

Oyetola recalled that President Bola Tinubu had at the presidential retreat, signed a performance bond with cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries to track records of KPIs for all ministries, department and agencies (MDAs).

The Minister revealed that the performance bond would be cascaded down to the directors of the ministry and chief executive officers (CEOs) of all the agencies under the Ministry.

Oyetola urged participants at the retreat to put in their best and come up with ideas on how to achieve their KPIs, adding that the president is determined to see that Nigerians get the dividends of democracy.

His words: “As you are aware, Mr. President, in the just concluded presidential retreat, signed a performance bond with the cabinet ministers and permanent secretaries. One of the key performance indicators of this meeting is to cascade the signed bond to ministry’s directors and chief executive officers (CEOs) of the ministry’s agencies.”

Oyetola further revealed that in Mr. President’s speech, “he stated emphatically that the Result Delivery Unit in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation was established to track performance of the signed bond.

“Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. President wants to see tangible results and our shared responsibility to serve the people. The maritime sector stands as a reservoir of immense potential, not only for economic growth but also for diversifying our revenue source and generating abundant employment opportunities for Nigerians, ” he said.

The Minister also disclosed that the Funtua Dry Inland Port is nearing completion as it was scheduled to be ready in 2024.

He challenged the participants to rise to the occasion to see that the set time of the project was achieved.

“I am convinced we have what it takes to deliver on our KPIs. We are, therefore, gathered here to brainstorm on how to deliver on the KPIs. For instance, three months ago, I was told that the Funtua Inland Dry Port was at 80 percent completion stage. Considering that we are expected to deliver this particular project in the first quarter of next year, it would be interesting to hear from the Nigerian Shippers Council how this can be achieved in record time”, he added.

Aslo speaking at the retreat, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transportation, Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Magdalene Anjani said the retreat was designed to provide a veritable platform for the top management officials of the ministry and its agencies to cross-fertilize ideas on how to galvanise the marine sector to meet the set goals and objectives of the ministry.

“It is worthy to note that the Honourable Minister has signed a Performance bond with Mr. President, which will serve as a scorecard for the Ministry. This bond comes with its initiatives, deliverables, Key Performance Indicators, timelines, and target, which the sector must unconditionally achieve.”

The P.S added: “Therefore, it is imperative that we all come together to critically understand this performance bond, the variables and be acquainted with what is expected of us to achieve as a ministry/agency particularly as the Maritime sector has proven to be one of the critical sector that is at the heart of the economic growth and prosperity of Nigeria”

Dr. Ajani highlighted the variables in the performance bond signed by the minister. She maintained that the maritime sector is a key catalyst to GDP growth, economic diversification, and revenue generation. Hence, the Minister alongside the Agencies must work together harmoniously and leverage on all resources. “We must continue to refer to the performance bond we signed and use it as a reference point to appraise our success or otherwise,” she concluded.