Destiny is all, by Ibrahim Maigari Ahmadu

A few days ago, the President of Nigeria, H.E. Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, approved the appointment of Dr. Abubakar Mahmud Dantsoho as the new Managing Director of the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA).

This appointment, once again, indicates that this administration is establishing a new order for appointing round pegs in a round holes.

Abubakar Mahmud Dantsoho has been one of my closest friends for almost 40 years.

We met as teenagers, straight out of secondary school, during our remedial days at the University of Maiduguri, and were roommates for almost all our university days.

He read Political Science while I read Law, but one thing that I noticed early in my friend was his brilliance, ability to network, tenacious focus on his goals, doggedness, and continuous quest for excellence.

Abubakar joined the NPA immediately after his youth service around 1993/1994 and rose through the ranks. I vividly remember his seriousness about his job, as if he knew this day would come.

He never settled on his goals but continued to improve by attending courses and gaining more education and qualifications, especially in the maritime sector.

He is a voracious reader and collector of books (something we share in common, and I can’t count the number of times he would call from one airport somewhere around the world about a book he has seen and wanted me to have a copy of).

He later earned a PhD in Maritime Technology from Liverpool John Moore’s University after a Master’s degree in International Transport from the Cardiff University of Wales, UK.

I can’t count the number of times many previous MDs of the NPA called upon Abubakar to serve as either S.A., Technical Assistant, etc. He also served as Port Manager, Onne Port, Principal Manager, Tariff and Billing.

He was so entrenched and indispensable to the maritime sector that the previous Minister of Transport in Nigeria appointed him Chief of Staff.

This humble gentleman in his mid-fifties has paid his dues and served his country (silently) in various capacities in the maritime sector for almost 30 years. The President of Nigeria has rightfully recognized this.

For many readers and viewers of Anglo-Saxon history and its adaptation into the TV series, ‘Destiny Is All’ or “Wyrd bid ful armed,” a statement attributed to the Great Uthred, Son of Uthred of Bebbanburg.

Abubakar Mahmud Dantsoho was destined to be the MD of NPA, and he prepared, toiled, invested, served, and worked for it.

I can’t remember an appointment so merited and deserving like this in a long time.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Congratulations, my friend.

Destiny Is All.

• Ibrahim Maigari Ahmadu is the Founder/CEO of RiceAfrika Technologies (An agriculture optimization service provider with operations in Nigeria, Tanzania, and Rwanda)