The General Manager, Corporate Affairs, of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Mr. Tayo Fadile is bowing out after 33 years in public service amid encomiums for his services to public relations in the maritime sector of the country.
Fadile began his public relations career at the Nigerian Shippers Council in 1986 but spent a greater part of his life at NIWA, Lokoja, where he set up and managed its Corporate Affairs Department for 22 years.
The Kabba, Kogi State-born Fadile is a graduate of Mass Communication of the University of Lagos and the publisher of the community journal, KabbaScope.
He is celebrating his exit from service with the publication of a book “33 Years of Public Relations Practice in the Maritime Industry of Nigeria.” The book, with foreword by Cardinal John Onaiyekan, the Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, is an in-depth but breezy account of his illustrious career from its humble inception to rousing retirement in April.
In a statement, Fadile, who turns 60 this month, expressed his profound gratitude to God for protecting and leading him for 33 years of the “thrills and challenges of public service.”
He said, “I am extremely privileged and lucky to have served my fatherland in such a capacity that I could contribute my own quota to the development of the nation’s maritime economy, particularly as a public relations practitioner. I return all glory to God. I owe my success to the unflinching support of my family, my staff and the media.”
The widely travelled Fadile, who served under no fewer than seven Managing Directors at NIWA, stressed that he could not have succeeded without the help of the media.
“Your public relations is as good as the backing you are getting from the media, including radio, television, print and online newspapers and the social media. I enjoyed very cordial relationship with virtually all members of the media. I am profoundly grateful to them,” he said.
As he retires, Fadile is being showered with praises for the consistency and professionalism he brought into his job at NIWA. Goodwill messages from his former bosses, staff, colleagues, family and friends have paid tribute to his innovative and effective projection of the image of NIWA, making it a well recognised brand in the maritime sector of the economy.