*Directors and HoDs sign Performance Bond with the Acting Rector

*Cadets Set For Registration With Global Professional Organization

For his consistency, resilience, dedication and commitment to birthing ideas of his supervisory ministry, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, has commended the Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, MAN, Dr. Kevin Okonna, for his efforts towards effectively implementing the Performance Management System (PMS) reforms of the Federal Government of Nigeria in the institution.

We gathered from a statement by Head of Public Relations Unit of the Academy, Domo Umoekpe, Anipr,
that the Minister gave the commendation during  a two-day Management Retreat and Ministerial Session for Performance Management System (PMS) and the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) held recently at the Academy.

Representative of the Minister, Director of Planning, Research and Statistics (PRS) in the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, Hajia Ibrahim Kalthum, disclosed that the Retreat was aimed at driving a successful implementation of the PMS and ECMS in the Academy.

Addressing management and staff of the Academy Hajia Kalthum said “The Ministry embarked on these two 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 of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to Nigerians”

“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,” she stated

Elaborating on the  PMS and ECMS, Hajia Kalthum said while the PMS strategically aligns every staff and department to deliver on the Ministry’s mandate and the 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.

She also emphasised that the Performance Management System (PMS) was not merely about staff appraisals but fundamentally about strategic execution of tasks and that goals are cascaded seamlessly from the national level to institutional, departmental and finally to individual levels.

Her words  “Staff performance is assessed objectively using well-defined Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) while capacity gaps are identified and addressed through targeted training and development. The reforms will translate into improved training outcomes, global competitiveness, and enhanced service delivery to Cadets, Seafarers and Stakeholders in the maritime industry”  Kalthum said

She added that “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”

“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, noting that transformation thrives when leadership and staff work as one team.”

Director Hajia Kalthu assured the Academy that the Ministry will continue to provide the Academy with oversight, technical support, and periodic reviews to ensure the success of the reforms and urged participants to embrace the change and see them as enablers, not burdens.

The Acting Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Dr. Kevin Okonna lauded the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, for his exceptional leadership strides which is 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.

During his presentation the Academy’s Helmsman highlighted that in 2024 Academy’s contributions to the Ministry’s Deliverables included: 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 of the Federal Government to promote accountability, amongst others.

While pledging 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 Cadets of the Academy.

On maintenance of standards of safety courses on offer in the Academy, the Acting Rector said that the Academy is effectively collaborating with the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, (NIMASA).

Dr. Okonna explained that the Academy would soon be signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Abuja Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central Africa Region, in respect to a course developed by the Academy for the Abuja MOU to enhance deliverables in the sub-region.

The Acting Rector informed the Ministry officials that  Management of the Academy has taken necessary steps to get the Nautical Science Cadets registered with the Institute of Nautical Studies, the Engineering Cadets registered with the Institute of Marine Engineers, Science and Technologists, (IMarEST), and the Maritime Transport Cadets registered with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, (CILT) , Nigeria.

Dr. Okonna explained further that the  registration of Cadets with these certified bodies  is targeted towards ensuring that all Cadets of the Academy derive tremendous benefits of membership from these professional institution even as he promised to deploy required resources towards the full deployment of the ECMS in the Academy.

According to the Acting REctor “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”.

The high point of the event, according to Domo Umoekpe, HoD, Public Relations, MAN, was the signing of the 2025 Departmental Performance Bond by the Directors and Heads of Departments with the Acting Rector of the Academy in the presence of the representative of the Honourable Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Hajia Ibrahim Kalthum.