Oyetola inaugurates NPA governing board in Abuja

Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, has officially inaugurated the newly constituted Governing Board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

The inauguration happened at the Ministry’s Conference Room in Abuja, on Monday, which the minister described as “a vital step in strengthening the governance framework of the NPA.”

According to the Minister, establishing a governing board would help enhance trade facilitation and transparency in the agency.

The Nigerian Ports Authority Act assigns critical policy oversight responsibilities to the Governing Board, particularly in areas concerning staffing and budgetary matters.

These roles, Oyetola said, are executed primarily through the board’s staff and establishment, and its finance committee.

However, the day-to-day management of the Authority remains the exclusive responsibility of the Managing Director and the executive management team as outlined in both the NPA Act and the Public Procurement Act of 2007.

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“Clear boundaries between governance and management must be maintained for operational integrity and efficiency,” the minister said.

He said the Board will provide policy direction and supervision in line with government directives but must not interfere with routine management or operational execution.

He called for cooperation between the executive management and the governing board, stating that “institutional harmony is vital.”

The NPA Board members include Senator Adedayo Adeyeye (Chairman), Abubakar Dantsoho (Managing Director), Olabanji Olawale Olateju (Member), Amirudin Tukur Idris (Member), Kelechi Igwe (Member), Ekpebide Ebi-Erin Daniel (Member) and Mercy Ilori (member), representing the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Others are Ibrahim Abba Umar (Executive Director, Engineering and Technical Services), Olalekan Badmus (Executive Director, Marine and Operations) and Vivian C. Richard Edet (Executive Director, Finance and Administration).