Benshore Maritime services Limited is a fully integrated Dredging, Civil and Marine Engineering, Pollution Control and Construction services provider with an eye for top quality and timely delivery of project. Otunba Benson Akingboye, the Executive Chairman of Benshore Maritime Services Limited is a quintessential and serial entrepreneur who strives for excellence and precision at all times in all positions and circumstances. The seasoned entrepreneur, businessman, manager, and politician all rolled together spoke on the Focus of a CEO in this interview with NnamdiNwokolo.
WHAT are your expectations in the New Year?
The year 2015 was very challenging to entrepreneurs and our expectation this New Year is that when the government settles down to do real business, things must improve. The expectations are high and we are hopeful that things will be done right. I urge every Nigerian to support the efforts of the current administration in doing things right. The benefits might not be immediate but it will guarantee a better future for our kids and the country. All hands must be on deck to ensure the success of this government because their success will reflect in the overall success of the Nation. I strongly believe that given the right support and collaboration, positive milestones will be recorded.

What has been the biggest challenge of running Benshore?
We need to deal with infrastructural development challenges to encourage entrepreneurship development. Unfortunately, successive governments have not paid due attention to promote entrepreneurship. No economy develops without the input of entrepreneurs because they are the wealth creators. The government needs to do more to invite more private investment in infrastructure. We need to actively motivate additional investment in power, transportation, roads and communications etc. so that the current infrastructure deficit can be dealt with. Another challenge is access to finance. Interest rates are high and the premium is too short. I believe that no economy grows without enterprise development, so, government policies should be geared towards promoting entrepreneurship by making funds available to entrepreneurs at reduced rates.

Looking back, will you say you are fulfilled in your entrepreneurial pursuit?
I’ve had a very good and rewarding entrepreneurial journey and I’ve worked with very inspiring Profesionals. I thank God for the opportunity against the backdrop of our operating environment. We’ve been in operation for almost two decades, and by my assessment we’ve been able to build a tested and trusted organization in line with our corporate vision. We’ve put systems in place to ensure that BENSHORE runs seamlessly when I’m not available and we have also gone ahead to propose continuous training for our team. The idea is to achieve global competitiveness. We are gradually developing a strategic plan for effective workforce management that will make delegation of authority very easy. Our clear-cut goal is to carve a niche for ourselves through integrity and self-motivation.

What are the secrets of the firm’s success?
Our strength is in the depth of our Total Project Management Skills. Our team has in common a total commitment to provide value added and timely world class services at highly competitive prices. They do this by matching appropriate technology to client’s requirements, with special emphasis on low cost and efficiency. Our project completion before schedule strategies makes the company second to none in the industry. BENSHORE realizes there is a need to ensure that every action affecting safety or prevention of pollution, taken at any level within the company, is based on sound organization practices.

Assessment of the industry:
Nigerians don’t have value for what we have, because we believe that imported goods are better whereas we can develop ours to global standards. We must give room for the development of our own especially the young ones. We must learn to appreciate our professionals and there’s need to look inwards. Minimizing the potential for human errors, which contributes directly or indirectly to casualties or pollution incidents is a task facing all construction and dredging companies today.

To meet this demand, companies should be able to ensure that its personnel are properly trained in all areas of plant and equipment operations. This technical transfer of safety first operations is more often than not over looked by private indigenous contractors and left to the multi-national companies. BENSHORE allows indigenous companies to have the same quality training and project management and evaluation that previously were only available to multi-national corporate giants.

We believe that when the aggregate of industry knowledge and expertise is high, it creates for robust competition which ultimately plays out good for all stakeholders. Consequently, as a company, we ensure that our staff is exposed to the highest level of training both locally and abroad. We also encourage them to pursue relevant professional programmes that enhance their career interests.

From your experience as a professional, what are the critical factors for business success? In our operations, we have outlined four factors that have really helped us to get to where we are today and it can apply to every business concern. The first is trust and dignity in running a business. The second is Timely and Quality service delivery; the next is job security for the staff and finally good community relations. It is also important that entrepreneur must have passion for whatever they want to go into. I always admonish young ones to be focused, be patient and work hard. My sincere advice to upcoming professionals is to believe they can do and achieve whatever they set their eyes to do. They should not forget that if there are no difficulties, there will be no success.

What are your Focus/Projections for the organization?
Our vision is to create an organization that deliver on its promises in a positive way by creating a competitive advantage, and we will be united by our commitment to our core values. Since inception, we are being governed by our core values and they shape the culture and define the character of our company. They guide how we behave and make decisions in fulfilling our obligation of building a better, stronger and more durable company for future generations, protecting the brand, meeting our commitments to stakeholders, acting with an owner mentality, developing our people and the global environment. We intend to become an outstanding company whose true measure is in the height and depth of our excellence, the length of our patience and the breath of our sympathy for the environment. Our service delivery stands us out. We want to build a sustainable organization that we can pass on to the next generation. We are poised to be the leading indigenous dredging company in the next couple of years.

What attracted you to politics?
It is interesting to be actively involved in politics because it gives me the opportunity to contribute my quota to National development. My role as a politician is to help the society, mentor the young ones and contribute to the development of the country. If you leave the governance of the country to professional politicians, all of us will bear the brunt, that’s why we are advocating for more professionals to be in politics. Everybody should show interest in politics because we all have a role to play in the development of the country.

Leadership Philosophy:
When we talk about leadership, the average man on the street sees it from the perspective of office holders. For goodness sake we are all leaders in our small areas of influence. We have to build it from there. All we have to do is to exhibit good leadership wherever we find ourselves; it is the aggregate of this leadership behavior that will eventually transform the country. If we are looking at one person and expect miracles, then we will not go beyond where we are. As leaders, we must inspire confidence and trust in the people.

What drives you: My passion is to contribute to the development of the society. I keep wondering why things cannot be done right in our society. My passion is to see all round development of the country. Passion for excellence is the driving force. The passion to improve the Industry, the profession as well as passion to leave the world better than I met it. We have continued to create a high level of awareness for the environment. We must be guided by sincerity of purpose and love for humanity.