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The Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Umar Yusuf Girei, has reiterated the Authority’s commitment to prioritizing staff safety as a strategic approach to enhancing productivity and creating a conducive working environment.
Girei made this known while delivering a paper titled “Good Psycho-Social Working Environment: A Pathway to Thriving Workers and a Strong Organization” to commemorate the World Day for Safety and Health at Work held on April 28, 2026, at the Authority’s Conference Hall in Lokoja, Kogi State.
According to the Acting Managing Director, the management has prioritized the provision of new office facilities and the rehabilitation of existing ones at the headquarters and selected area offices to improve staff welfare.
“We have provided a well-equipped staff clinic and ensured access to potable water and proper sanitation at the headquarters in Lokoja and some selected area offices,” he stated.
He further disclosed that, through partnerships with relevant agencies such as the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, the Authority organizes periodic mental health awareness sessions for staff.
“We have also implemented flexible work arrangements for nursing mothers in line with existing circulars from the Office of the Head of Service,” Girei added.
He noted that all categories of staff have benefited from training programmes in emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and workplace stress management, conducted in Turkey and Rwanda.
The event attracted key stakeholders, including representatives from Nigerian Navy (NNS Lugard), Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), the Kogi State Ministry of Transportation, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The statement was disseminated by Suleiman Makama, Assistant General Manager, Corporate Affairs, NIWA.
