Hadiza Bala Usman (47 years, North West) is the former Managing Director of Nigeria’s Ports Authority, politician, human rights activist and member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and one of the top notch young female Progressives who vigorously campaigned for the Tinubu/Shettima presidency during the 2023 elections campaign trail. She was previously the chief of staff to the Governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2016. Since 2014, she is one of the co-founders of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign, and is also a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress. She took a strong cue behind her former principal and lifelong mentor, Governor El-Rufai who stamped his foot down with northern governors in support of the APC zoning the presidency to the South of Nigeria. Even though her tenure at the Ports Authority ended abruptly based on yet to be proven allegation of embezzlement, the reforms and innovation recorded during her tenure has set the standard for many after her to work hard to outshine in exceeding her achievements.
Hadiza Bala Usman was born on 2 January 1976 in Zaria to a Fulani ruling class family of the Sullubawa clan . Her father, Yusufu Bala Usman, the grandson of Sarkin Katsina Muhammadu Katsina Dikko, was a prominent academic and historian. He later founded the Centre for Democratic Development, Research and Training in Zaria. Her great grandfather, Abdullahi Bayero (father to her paternal grandmother), was the 10th Emir of Kano from 1926 to 1953, her paternal grandfather was the Durbin Katsina, her grand uncle was Usman Nagogo the Emir of Katsina and her great grandfather was Sarkin Katsina Muhammadu Dikko (father to her paternal grandfather). Hadiza grew up on the campus of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, where her father worked. She started her education at the university staff primary school and went ahead to complete her secondary education. In 1996, she enrolled at the university and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2000. She later received a master’s degree in development studies from the University of Leeds in 2009. Hadiza grew up on the campus of Ahmadu Bello University in Zaria, where her father worked. She started her education at the university staff primary school and went ahead to complete her secondary education. In 1996, she enrolled at the university and received a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2000. She later received a master’s degree in development studies from the University of Leeds in 2009.
She then worked at the Bureau of Public Enterprises from July 2000 to August 2004 as at October 2004 to January 2008, she was then hired by the UNDP for the Federal Capital Territory Administration as a special assistant to the Minister on project implementation. In 2011, She ran for the federal constituency seat of Musawa/Matazu under the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) but lost. She then joined the Good Governance Group in Nigeria, non-governmental organisation, as the country director of strategy from 2011 to July 2015. In 2014, following the Chibok school girls kidnapping by Boko Haram, Hadiza Bala Usman noticed that the Jonathan administration was not prioritizing the kidnapping, she then co-founded the Bring Back Our Girls campaign group advocate the rescue of the abducted schoolgirls. She chose the colour red for the campaign because it is a sign of “alarm, danger, a warning.” Hadiza Bala Usman has also helped coordinate meetings with the parents of the kidnapped girls and members of the Nigerian government. She had continued to protest with the group into 2016.
In 2015, following his election Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai appointed her as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kaduna State. She was appointed as the Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in July 2016 by President Muhammadu Buhari . Her appointment generated a lot of controversies as many saw her nomination as ethnically based and questioned her qualification for the specific role. Hadiza Bala Usman had also helped coordinate meetings with the parents of the kidnapped girls and members of the Nigerian government. She had continued to protest with the group into 2016. Before her suspension of the basis on false allegations of abuse of procurement processes she recorded outstanding achievements at the NPA. As the first female Managing Director of NPA, she ensured the very first creche in Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) was established at the Lagos Port Complex (LPC) Apapa. She also achieved the commissioning of the Command & Control, Communication and Intelligence Centre for NPA. She also acquired and commissioned four new tug boats namely, MT Daura, MT Ubima, MT Uromi and MT Majiya in order to further improve operation al efficiency, signed of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Open Budget System platform and implementation of a public d at a dissemination programme and so many others. Despite the plot to discredit her at the NPA, she still formed part of the core think tank in Tinubu/Shettima presidency in the North, and speculators expect to see her back heading one of the strategic MDAs in the days ahead.
