Managing Director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ms Bala Hadiza Usman, yesterday emerged the vice-president (Africa Region) of the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH).
Usman joins five other vice-presidents representing America, Central and South America, North, Asia, South/West, East & Middle East, Asia, South East and Oceania and Europe on the governing body of the 62-year-old organisation.
Santiago Garcia Milà, president of the association, is from Spain.
Usman is expected to take office immediately and would remain in office until the 2019 annual general meeting of the association in Guangzhou, China.
The new vice president who expressed delight over the election said it was in recognition of Nigeria’s strategic importance in the global maritime map and efforts of the NPA to reposition the sector.
While pledging to justify the confidence of members of the association reposed in her. Usman promised to make Nigeria proud in the period of her service at the IAPH,
IAPH is a non-governmental organisation which represents the interest of ports across the world, has a membership of over 200 ports and national ports representative bodies and recently acquired a consultative status with five United Nations agencies including: the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC); United Nations International Maritime Organisation (IMO); United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP); the International Labour Office (ILO) and the World Customs Organisation (WCO). The organisation was founded in 1955.