The Director General of the National Fisheries Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), Nafaweh J. Cyrus Saygbe Sr., says his administration will build the institution on the successes of the past while overcoming existing challenges.
Speaking Monday, March 24, 2025, at NaFAA’s head office in Monrovia, during the program marking his official welcoming and installation ceremony, Saygbeh said in the spirit of fostering a genuine sense of collegiality and equality, employees should address him by his first name and not feel obligated to stand whenever he visits their offices or enter meetings. “We are all professional colleagues, and our mutual respect is the cornerstone of our collaborative success,’’ he said.
According to him, by breaking down traditional hierarchies and embracing an open, respectful, and supportive work environment, they will not only strengthen their team but also pave the way for innovative solutions that will propel the sector forward. He said they are building an organization where every voice is valued and every effort contributes to their shared vision for a brighter future.
The NaFAA boos said everyone’s honest opinion will be welcomed for feedback and guidance if they ever observe that he is not on the right track. He called on employees to always feel free to speak up when they believe he can improve their shared commitment to transparency and excellence to strengthen the team and ensure they remain aligned with their core values.
Mr. Saygbe recalled that while engaging with technical and general staff recently, he saw a group of dedicated Liberians who are deeply passionate about making a difference, recognizing the drive each one brings to their mission.
Meanwhile, the NaFFA new boss said the Liberia Sustainable Management of Fisheries Project supported by the World Bank, currently balancing approximately US$21 million and set to conclude in September 2026, demonstrates the incredible potential of our sector to drive economic growth,
enhance livelihoods, and secure food security. “We have begun engaging with the World Bank to ensure a very successful conclusion of this project to meet its development objectives,” he added.
He said his engagement with the Project Implementation Unit provided him with the appreciation and confidence that the project team is up to the task to meet these delivery. However, he said despite these opportunities and ongoing efforts, ‘‘we must also confront several pressing challenges that define our current status.’’
Saygbe said they are faced with outstanding financial arrears totaling 3.1 million United States Dollars that include pending vendor payments over the years , complications involving Liberia Revenue Authority(LRA) Income Tax and NASSCORP Withholdings that were deducted from staffs’ ’s but never remitted from as far back as 2020 to date , unlawful dismissals where the Labor Court ruled in favor of the staffs to be paid, and overdue payments to the National Port Authority(NPA) pose significant hurdles.
The NaFAA Director General said he met an unverified bank balance of at least US$450,000 that will meet critical salary obligations for staffs just for the months of March and April 2025. He called Internal Audit Agency’s (IAA) assigned auditor at NaFAA to commence the review and verifications of these areas to enable them to commence dialogues where needed and commence the liquidation of these liabilities where possible.
Furthermore, as of March 2025 payroll, he said they have agreed as a management team to commence the remittance of Withholding tax for LRA and Social Security for NASSCORP with immediate effect while discussing the huge outstanding arrears.
He said these challenges, compounded by low staff morale and persistent bureaucratic delays, set the stage for the current state of NaFAA as he officially commenced work.
