In a political landscape often dominated by noise, bluster and the bare-knuckled theatrics of power, Hadiza Bala Usman has managed to stand out – gracefully yet forcefully.
Her trajectory, from her early days working closely with former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, as his Chief of Staff, to her influential tenure at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), and now as Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Coordination, has been anything but ordinary. It is a journey marked by intellect, courage, administrative brilliance, and an uncommon poise that belies the toughness with which she confronts entrenched inefficiencies.
Those who encountered the 49-year old during her days with Nasir El-Rufai knew immediately that she was no ornament in public service. Rather she was a sure-footed strategist – sharp, meticulous, unafraid to speak truth to power, and even less afraid to roll up her sleeves.
El-Rufai, himself famously impatient with mediocrity, found in her the perfect match: someone who could translate ideas into action and ensure that decisions were not just made but implemented with precision.
In Kaduna, she became a powerful force within a government that prized efficiency. Whether dealing with bureaucrats resistant to change or coordinating sensitive policy programs, Hadiza proved repeatedly that competence and courage were her defining traits. Her growing reputation for discipline and smart execution soon set the stage for a much bigger assignment.
When Hadiza Bala Usman was appointed Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority in 2016, sceptics whispered. A young woman at the helm of a notoriously tough and deeply political institution? Many expected her to be swallowed whole. What they did not expect was that she would confront the long-standing rot – fearlessly and frontally.
At the NPA, Hadiza’s tenure was defined by transparency reforms, digitalisation of key operations, improved revenue collection, and a deliberate effort to break the cartel-driven culture around port operations.
She pushed for the adoption of the electronic call-up system in Lagos ports, reduced human interactions that fuel corruption, and insisted on accountability at levels the agency had not experienced in years.
Of course, such a shake-up was never going to be easy. She battled vested interests, political landmines, and the predictable pushback that attends any meaningful reform. Yet, through the turbulence, she remained consistent: firm, focused, and unwilling to retreat from what she believed was right for Nigeria’s maritime economy.
Her exit – the controversy, the rumours, the politics – may have made headlines, but even her fiercest critics quietly admit that the NPA of today is still operating on the scaffolding she built. Her reforms, though resisted, were never reversed. That, in government, is the ultimate compliment.
Today, as Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Policy Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman once again sits at the table where Nigeria’s most consequential decisions are shaped. It is a role less flashy than managing the NPA but arguably more influential. It is also a role tailor-made for her strengths – strategy, coordination, discipline, and the ability to demand results without raising her voice.
Her job is to ensure that ministers and agencies deliver. And if Nigeria knows anything about Hadiza by now, it is that she is the last person one should assign to a position if the intention is to tolerate excuses or lethargy. With her at the centre of policy monitoring, ministries know someone is watching – methodically, professionally, and with data in hand.
What makes her story even more compelling is that she carries out her duties without the bluster that often accompanies political proximity. She works, delivers, and moves on – quietly, efficiently and beautifully.
Hadiza Bala Usman’s beauty is often remarked upon, but the real beauty – perhaps the one history will record with more urgency – is in her work: her discipline, her courage, her intellect, her refusal to be cowed by vested interests, and her capacity to reform deeply broken systems.
In a public sector littered with uneven performance and waste, her career is a study in what is possible when competence meets boldness. Whether beside El-Rufai (2015-2016), at the helm of the NPA (2016-2021), or working closely with President Tinubu (2023 till date), the Ahmadu Bello University and University of Leeds graduate has remained consistent in her approach: Nigeria must work, government must deliver, and excuses won’t be tolerated or entertained.
The beautiful works of Hadiza Bala Usman are therefore not just in her past – they are unfolding before us. And, if the past is any guide, then Nigeria is better for it.
*Azuh Arinze, FNGE, is the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of YES INTERNATIONAL! Magazine and author of important books like The CEO’s Bible 1 and 2, Anything and Everything Journalism, Success Is Not Served A La Carte, A Taste of Success, My Story of Many Colours, etc
