The Editorial Board and management of Businessday Newspapers, the 20-year old Nigeria’s flagship business and financial journalism publication has honoured Dr. Bayero Salih-Farah, Director-General/Chief executive of Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology with the distinguished Public Service Award (PSA) in recognition of his outstanding performance in the year 2020
Dr Farah joined NITT in 1994 and rose to the position of Director, Training Department. He was appointed acting DG by the Federal government on 6th May 2019 and confirmed as substantive Director-General on 13th January 2020.
His tenure has recorded monumental changes in the physical, infrastructural and academic life of the institute since he took over.At the award ceremony attended by the crème de la crème in society including members of the federal executive council and captains of industries, the managing Director, BusinessDay Media limited (publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers), Dr. Ogho Okpiti said Dr Salih-Farah was nominated for the award based on visible and verifiable achievements during his one year in office as Director-General
And while presenting the award to Dr Bayero who was represented by Dr. Danjuma Ismaila, Director Training Department, the royal father of the day, HRH Dr Umaru Kwairanga, Sarkin Fulani Gombe, said the NITT DG has in less than two years of his appointment carried out the responsibilities bestowed on him with diligence, commitment, dedication and professionalism and his performance was outstanding. Of particular note was his ability to increase the participation level of people in NITT training programmes.
“Before becoming the DG, Dr. Bayero has garnered a lot of experiences and thus his management style is result-oriented and he is a very hands-on administrator. An accomplished scholar and astute administrator per excellence, Dr. Bayero is very humble, gentle and level-headed. He is renowned as a team player, a man of vision, a firm believer in team work, and very firm in taking decisions”, he stated and urged the DG not to relent. Within the short period of his assumption of office as Director General and Chief Executive, Dr Bayero has virtually transformed the whole Institute particularly in the area of infrastructural development. He turned things around in NITT by mobilizing the staff with support from the Governing Council towards repositioning the Institute which is in tandem with the policy objectives of the present administration of taking the country to the Next Level.
In fact, for those who have not been to the Institute for the past one year, they may get lost in view of the number of projects being executed. Even staff and regular visitors to the Institute have been asking questions as to where the man gets the money to do all these projects. It is nothing but share initiative, good intentions and commitment to what he believes in”, the the royal father said.
In addition, under his leadership, there is ongoing constructing of three Driver Development and Training Centres (DDTC) in Ugheli in Delta State, Ilorin in Kwara State and Zaria in Kaduna State for training of drivers across the country to improve safety and reduce carnage on the nation’s Roads. His leadership has also secured approval to run Mphil/PhD in Transport and Logistics in affiliation with Ahmadu Bello University Zaria.
Also under his leadership, two new Departments and units ie Transport Engineering and Audit Departments and Public Private Partnership, Collaboration and Networking Unit have been created as part of his expansion programmes.
The event which was chaired by Alhaji Umaru Mutallab, Chairman Jaiz Bank had other award recipients to include, Dr. Mohammed Mahmood Abubakar, Honourable Minister of Environment, His Excellency Chief Timipre Sylva, Hon. Minister of state for Petroleum Resources, His Excellency, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo, Hon Minister of Industries, Trade and Investment, Dr. Uchechukwu Ogah, Hon Minister of state for Mines and Steel Development and Dr. Alex Okoh, DG, Bureau of Public Enterprises (BPE).
Other award recipients are; Mr Ahmed Idris, Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, DG, NITDA, Prof Mohamed Bello Abubakar, MD/CEO, Galaxy Backbone, Dr. Oyeyemi Kale, Statistician of the Federation and CEO, National Bureau of Statistics, Barr Chiedu Ugbo, MD/CEO Niger Delta Power Holding Company (NDPHC), Captain Junaid Abdullahi Executive Secretary, Border Communities Development Agency, Mrs Abike Dabiri, Executive Chairman, Nigeria in Diaspora Commission, Alhaji Hamza Sule Bokki, MD/CEO, Nigeria Police Force Pensions limited and Mr. Abubakar Abba Bello, MD/CEO, Nigeria Export-Import Bank.
