From Corps Member to Managing Director: Meet NPA's New Boss, Abubakar Dantsoho
Despite several criticisms, Nigeria's youth service program still holds countless successful testimonies, one of which is the distinguished career of Abubakar Dantsoho, the newly appointed managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).
In 1992, Dantsoho was just a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member. serving at the NPA, but 32 years later, he proudly occupies the position of the authority's MD.
Source: UGC
After the immediate past MD of the authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko, was relieved of the position by President Bola Tinubu, Dantsoho was afterwards appointed as a suitable replacement.
Dantsoho's remarkable educational qualification
Dantsoho graduated with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree from the University of Maiduguri in 1992.
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His academic journey continued as he obtained a Master of Science (M.Sc.) in International Transport from Cardiff University in Wales in 1999.
Demonstrating his dedication to advancing his expertise, he achieved a doctorate (PhD with honours) in Maritime Technology from John Moores University in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in 2015.
Climbing the ranks at NPA
Dantsoho's career at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is a tale of remarkable ascent—from a trainee to the pinnacle position of managing director.
Starting as a marketing officer at the NPA headquarters from 1993 to 1998, he quickly rose through the ranks.
He then served as a senior marketing officer until 2006, before becoming an assistant manager in the commercial department from 2006 to 2013.
During this time, he also held roles as a special assistant and personal assistant to middle and executive management at various levels.
From 2013 to 2015, Dantsoho managed the commercial department at Apapa Port and later became the senior manager at the NPA headquarters from 2014 to 2017. His expertise continued to shine as he served as the principal manager in the tariff and billing division from 2016 to 2019.
In 2020, he was appointed port manager for the Onne Port Complex. Just a year later, he became the managing director’s technical assistant from 2021 to 2022.
This brief stint was followed by a promotion to assistant general manager in 2022, and he went on to serve as the chief of staff to Mu’azu Jaji Sambo, the former minister of transportation, within the same year.
Dantsoho served on many delegations
Beyond his extensive work experience, Dantsoho has led numerous internal and external technical committees.
These include initiatives for the establishment of cargo tracking notes in Nigeria, the development of a port community system (PCS), and project monitoring teams.
He was also a key member of the management committee overseeing the berthing of the Egina Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) ship and served on the 2023 ministerial committee for the presidential transition.
Dantsoho has represented Nigeria in various international delegations. In October 2022, he attended the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77) in New York.
He was also part of the delegation to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London in 2010.
His global engagements include the World Ports Conference of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) in Busan, South Korea, in 2011; the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012; and the International and Logistics Conference in Casablanca, Morocco, in 2013.
NPA secures $700m facility from Citibank
In related news, Legit.ng reported that the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) had secured a $700 million loan to rehabilitate the Apapa Tin-Can port.
The NPA also said that it has opened discussions with another agency to secure another facility for the rehabilitation of ports in the East.
The loan from Citibank will be forwarded to the Debt Management Office for proper documentation.
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Source: Legit.ng
