ABIODUN KOMOLAFE From the track records of Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, his appointment into the hitherto moribund National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) as its Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) is well deserved. Given his pedigree, experience and previous positions, expectations are high that Oyebamiji’s good leadership style will ultimately impact inland waterways in a way as to make Marine and Blue Economy relevant and fulfill its mandate. In the past, not much has been heard about NIWA as it has just been job-for-the-boys kind of establishment.
But now that a technocrat, famously called Bola Oyebamiji, has been put in the saddle, it’s believed that there will be a major turnaround in the inland water transportation sector; and, since the focus of the Bola Tinubu-led administration is restructuring to boost revenue, it’s also believed that the Ikire, Osun State-born banker, economist, public administrator and politician will make a mark in his new assignment. No doubt about it, Nigeria is in economic dire straits and all eyes can see it! Therefore, the strategic position in an agency or department that can help to diversify the country’s economy and boost productivity and revenue in the short and medium term is vital. If we had known what we’re doing, inland waters, like the Marine and Blue Economy, should have been a driving force of the economy.
The two of them should be worth trillions of naira annually in terms of output and be responsible.
