NIWA Promotes Staff Welfare With Mental Health, Emotional Intelligence Training

The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) has intensified efforts to improve staff welfare and workplace productivity through mental health awareness programmes and emotional intelligence training.

Speaking during an event to commemorate World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28, 2026, in Lokoja, Kogi State, the Acting Managing Director of NIWA, Umar Yusuf Girei, said the agency remains committed to creating a conducive working environment for its workforce.

Delivering a paper titled “Good Psycho-Social Working Environment: A Pathway to Thriving Workers and Strong Organisation,” Girei noted that the management has prioritised staff safety and wellbeing through infrastructure upgrades and health-focused initiatives.

According to him, NIWA has invested in the construction of new office facilities and the rehabilitation of existing ones at its headquarters and selected area offices. He added that the Authority has also established a well-equipped staff clinic, while ensuring access to potable water and proper sanitation.

Girei further disclosed that, in collaboration with partners such as the Federal Medical Centre Lokoja, the agency regularly organises mental health sensitisation programmes for staff.

He said flexible work arrangements have also been introduced for nursing mothers in line with directives from the Office of the Head of Service, aimed at promoting work-life balance.

The Acting Managing Director revealed that staff across all cadres have benefited from specialised training programmes in emotional intelligence, conflict resolution and workplace stress management, with some sessions conducted internationally in countries such as Turkey and Rwanda.

The event attracted key stakeholders, including representatives from the Nigerian Navy, Hydroelectric Power Producing Areas Development Commission (HYPPADEC), Kogi State Ministry of Transportation, National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

The initiative underscores NIWA’s broader strategy to enhance employee wellbeing while strengthening institutional efficiency and service delivery.