Until Hadiza Bala Usman, an activist and Managing Director
of the Nigerian Ports Authority, NPA,
was introduced to the Authority about
three years ago, by President Muhammadu Buhari of the ruling All Progressive
Congress, APC, the usual visit of officials from other
Ports in the West and central African
African sub-region on a working visit to Nigeria to take a cue at what is
happening ad to see how it could be implemented in their own port environment
was missing.
Ghana, another West African country , which had a better managed port facilities was said to have stolen the show as Nigeria struggles to bounce back to life. The revolutionary changes that may have been made at the Authority by Hajia Usman over the last three years may have turned it into a hub in the West and Central African sub-regions as port officials from the member countries of these African sub-regional bodies are now frequenting Nigeria ports to understudy what is going on and how it could be applied in their own their ports environment in a bid to making productive.
Hadiza Bala Usman. Managing Director NPA
T Only recently, a delegation from the port of Duala, Cameroun, a member country of the Central African sub-region came on a working visit to Nigeria. The delegation led by Ndoh Lin Dieudonne had eulogized Hajia had called on Hajia Usman, for turning NPA, into a productive government Agency in such a short time. Appealing to her to continue with her good work in the Agency, Dieu Donne, said the port of Duala officials has much to learn from the NPA, to remain afloat. An appreciative NPA boss was said to have thanked the August visitors for their encouraging remarks, promising to do more to reposition Nigerian ports to accommodate deep ocean-going vessels, the type found in Europe and North America including the Asian country of China that could carry and discharge thousands of Containers at a go at a port.
The performance of Hajia Usman at NPA , may have drawn the attention of Global Excellence Communications, a private Media outfit, to give the Authority Award as the most productive government Agency ofthe year 2018. The Authority General Manager , Corporate and Strategic Communications, was said to have received the award on behalf of the Authority from the Company Chief Executive Irachy. who incidentally was also the founder of , ”African Women Foundation for Nation Building”.
