The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON, has showered praise on the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, for its unwavering commitment to government reforms aimed at boosting accountability and digital transformation.
The commendation came during a two-day Management Retreat and Ministerial Handholding Session on the Performance Management System (PMS) and the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS), held at the Academy’s campus.
Represented by the Ministry’s Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Hajia Ibrahim Kalthum, the Minister described the Academy’s leadership under Acting Rector, Dr. Kevin Okonna, as exemplary in aligning with the Federal Government’s vision for institutional reforms.
She explained that PMS and ECMS were introduced to ensure agencies under the Ministry deliver effectively on their mandates, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The Maritime Academy of Nigeria is Nigeria’s foremost maritime training institution. By embracing these reforms, it is showing the leadership expected of such a critical national institution,” Kalthum said.
She stressed that PMS goes beyond performance appraisal, describing it as a strategic framework that cascades national goals down to institutions, departments, and individual staff responsibilities.
According to her, staff will now be evaluated through clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), while training and development programmes will be used to close capacity gaps identified during reviews.
On the ECMS, she noted that the system would revolutionise the way the Academy manages information, replacing physical files with digital records to ensure efficiency, transparency, and seamless collaboration.
“Processes will be streamlined, delays cut out, and institutional memory preserved for generations. This is particularly important as the Academy seeks international recognition and compliance with global maritime standards,” she explained.
Kalthum encouraged the Academy’s management to appoint PMS Champions, who will drive staff engagement and awareness, just as the Ministry has done, where champions wear uniforms every Thursday to promote reforms.
She urged staff of the Academy to take ownership of results, embrace digitalisation, and work as a united team to sustain the transformation.
Responding, Acting Rector, Dr. Kevin Okonna, applauded Minister Oyetola’s leadership, describing his stewardship of the Ministry as one of the reasons it continues to top national performance rankings by the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU).
He highlighted the Academy’s milestones in 2024, including the training of 4,775 seafarers and dockworkers, provision of ICT tools to staff, and expansion of professional development initiatives to raise standards.
Dr. Okonna revealed that the Academy is also forging partnerships with professional bodies such as the Institute of Nautical Studies, the Institute of Marine Engineers, Science and Technologists (IMarEST), and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) to give cadets global professional exposure.
The highlight of the retreat was the signing of the 2025 Departmental Performance Bond by Directors and Heads of Departments alongside the Acting Rector, in the presence of the Minister’s representative, sealing the Academy’s commitment to deliver on ministerial priorities.
