Transportation Minister charges heads of agencies on improved performance
By Shiktra Shalangwa, Abuja
Nigeria’s Minister of Transportation, Senator Sa’id Alkali has urged the management staff of his ministry and its agencies to brainstorm, strategize, and come up with set parameters in line with the eight priority areas of President Bola Tinubu’s Administration, stressing that achieving the ones which have to do with the transportation sector will bring succor to Nigerians and align the ministry with the vision of the President.
The Minister stated this at the opening session of a 2-day retreat on cascading of ministerial performance bond holding in Abuja, from Thursday, 8th February to Friday, 9th February, 2024.
It could be recalled that President Bola Tinubu had at the presidential retreat held with ministers and permanent secretaries in 2023, signed a performance bond with the ministers and permanent secretaries to track records and key performance indicators (KPIs) for all ministries, department and agencies (MDAs).
According to Alkali, the need for this gathering has become imperative as it provides the ministry with a platform to relate as a sector, with a view to understanding it’s roles as a key sector within the Nigerian Economy.
“It is significant to emphasize that the present administration’s eight priorities areas have mandated us to “enhance infrastructure and transportation as enablers of growth.”
Alkali stated that a perusal of the other seven priority areas showed that an efficient transportation system will be beneficial to agriculture and food security; marine and blue economy; tourism; industrialization; manufacturing and trade; as well as national integration among others.
“Our success will be prosperity for everybody on the value chain as we grow and diversify the economy, and it is on the basis of these that our efforts will be assessed,” he added.
Alkali also expressed his belief in the resource persons and facilitators at the retreat to demystify the importance of the ministry’s mandate, vision and mission as well as the signed performance bond; the performance management system (PMS); the monitoring and reporting protocols and all that is needed to cascade at the ministerial level.
Emphasising on the priority of this activity, Alkali disclosed that the Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) in the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation has been tasked with tracking the performance of the Ministers and the Permanent Secretaries, pointing out that officers from the CDCU are part of the facilitators of the retreat with the aim of bringing to the limelight the yardstick for appraisal.
He thus charged the Permanent Secretary to ensure that the Directors and Head of Agencies immediately cascade the outcome of this retreat to other officers who are not privileged to attend the retreat.
The transportation minister expressed confidence that the outcome of the meeting will produce a robust and comprehensive implementation strategy that covers beyond the priority projects and programmes in the signed bonds.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Transportation/Marine and Blue Economy, Olufemi Oloruntola expressed the belief that “the gathering will serve as a platform to delve into the intricacies of the performance bond endorsed by the Minister, setting the stage for us to establish clear objectives conducive to fulfilling the ministry’s mandate.”
According to Oloruntola, it is imperative to recognize that the performance bond encapsulates a comprehensive framework comprising initiatives, deliverables, key performance indicators (KPIs), timelines, and targets, essential for the sector’s advancement.
The Permanent Secretary assured of the Ministry’s commitment to monthly reviews of agencies’ performances and quarterly appraisals, while also stating the ministry’s unwavering dedication to advancing the transportation sector for the benefit of Nigerians.
