The immediate past Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Mr. Bola Oyebamiji, has outlined how targeted welfare and operational reforms helped reposition the agency’s workforce and improve performance during his tenure.
Oyebamiji spoke in Osun State last week while receiving some maritime journalists on a courtesy visit, where he reflected on his two-and-a-half-year leadership of the authority and the measures adopted to address staff welfare, motivation, and operational effectiveness.
He said that at the time of his appointment, NIWA was largely perceived for safety challenges rather than service delivery, adding that his initial focus was to assess the condition of the workforce and institutional gaps before implementing reforms.
Oyebamiji said staff frustration posed a major safety risk on the waterways, prompting him to prioritise welfare as a foundation for reform. He noted that nearly 15 welfare and operational issues were addressed, including provision of patrol boats, improved working conditions and motivation for field officers responsible for waterway safety.
The former NIWA boss stressed that the breakthrough at NIWA, did not come from mass recruitment, but from repositioning existing workers. According to him, once staff morale improved, discipline and safety enforcement on the waterways followed naturally.
“I did my risk analysis and looked at the mitigants. I went to the minister and told him that if I must do well, certain things must be done. He gave me a free hand. The first thing we did was to invest in boats and also take care of our staff. We didn’t employ new staff. It was the same old staff. But we added value to them and they added value back to the agency. People are the most relevant assets anywhere in the world,” he explained.
“What we did differently helped us record about 70 to 80 per cent success, and that translated to about 70 per cent reduction in boat mishaps. Safety is not only equipment; it is also mindset, motivation and responsibility,” Oyebamiji said.
Oyebamiji, who is now the All Progressive Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate in Osun State, said although he planned to spend four years in NIWA, his tenure lasted about two and a half years, but his focus remained on institutionalising safety and welfare-driven processes that would outlive him.
“I had a 20-year plan for NIWA. If you don’t develop people, everything else will decay. What we achieved came from hungry, angry staff who were once neglected, but later empowered to deliver safety,” he said.
He appreciated stakeholders and journalists for supporting NIWA’s reforms and pledged continued support for inland waterway development even outside office. “My legacy is simple: prioritise people, enforce safety and make inland waterways work for Nigerians. I may have left NIWA, but I will not leave NIWA alone,” Oyebamiji concluded.
