The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) in furtherance of its commitment to marking the yearly International Women’s Day has initiated a move to source for, hire, and mentor the next generation of women for leadership roles in the nation’s maritime sector.
The NPA, in a post on its official X handle on Monday, stated that its Managing Director/CEO, Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, would lead the Female Talent Pool Initiative, aimed at identifying talent, attracting participants, nurturing skills and strengthening the presence of women throughout Nigeria’s port and shipping industry.
According to the X post, the Authority’s Executive Director, Finance and Administration and Port Manager of the Rivers Ports Complex, Mrs Kenechi Edith Okezie, will join the CEO on the panel to explore the real benefits of gender balance in maritime operations and to inspire young women entering the sector to achieve their greatest potential.
Also, a frontline advocate for women’s empowerment, Mrs. Abimbola Ini-Abasi, would open the session with statistics and clear, actionable recommendations, while Halimatu Abdul and Toke Makinwa would share their perspectives during the session to be moderated by Ayo Mairo-Ese.
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It would be recalled that in a statement on March 9, the NPA, as part of its activities to mark the 2026 International Women’s Day commended the resilience and dedication of its female workforce.
Dantsoho, who spoke on the recent senior appointments and his specialist advisory team, said: “Women now occupy 60 percent of these positions while men account for the remaining 40 percent.”
In a statement issued by the Authority on the IWD day to demonstrate how the management had been promoting gender equity in its operaions indicated that the Managing Director commended the female staff for delivering outstanding results in roles previously thought demanded “traditional male physical strength.”
He congratulated all women both within the NPA and across the mritime industry for their relentless efforts to open new boundaries, dismantling obstacles and helping create a fairer, more balanced future for the entire sector.
The statement partly reads: “NPA has embedded gender equality as a practical priority rather than a standalone formal document, using leadership directives, affirmative appointments and targeted staff welfare measures to drive inclusion across its operations.
“Under Managing Director Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, the authority has deliberately advanced women into strategic support roles, assigning them 60 per cent of positions among his personal aides and technical assistants while men occupy the remaining 40 per cent.
“This intentional ratio forms part of a broader drive to expand female participation and leadership success throughout the maritime industry”, it added.
Dantsoho noted that women were excelling in operational and technical fields long viewed as requiring traditionally male physical strength, including firefighting, security, vessel piloting, marine engineering, hydrographic surveying, administrative coordination and maritime support services such as the maintenance of navigational aids.
Analysts believe that the latest Female Talent Pool Initiative of the ports regulatory authority represents the Dantsoho-led management’s determination to close gender gap and transform the maritime industry by giving women more roles in leadership positions with the attendant implications for making them leaders of tomorrow in the industry.
