HER FATHER’S DAUGHTER

BASHIR IBRAHIM HASSAN pays tribute to Hadiza Bala Usman,former managing director of NPA

Hadiza Bala Usman is, to use a popular Nigerian parlance, truly “her father’s daughter“. Although her father, the late Yusufu Bala Usman, the fire-brand history teacher at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, didn’t earn his popularity on the terrain of partisan politics, he did belong to Aminu Kano-led Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) during Nigeria’s Second Republic and was, indeed, briefly the Secretary to the Kaduna State government in the Abdulkadir Balarabe Musa administration. It was rather in the realms of academic scholarship and social activism that he flourished. He founded the Centre for Democratic Development and Research Training, popularly known as CDD. His daughter Hadiza may not readily evoke the image of a firebrand activist of the leftist persuasion, but she co-founded the Bring Back Our Girls movement. Like her father, she has not been in the more (self-acclaimed) progressive faction of Nigeria’s political divide, being a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) axis, But, unlike her father, she has not had a shortage of political appointment — chief of staff to the governor of Kaduna State from 2015 to 2016; managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) from 2016 to 2021; and special adviser on Policy and Coordination Central Delivery Coordination Unit (CDCU) to President Bola Tinubu since June 2023. Born on 2 January 1976 in Zaria, 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). She is by blood too, deeply related to the Kano royals (Gidan Dabo) through her maternal grandparents. She obtained a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2000 from ABU and a master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Leeds in 2009. She has worked at the Bureau of Public Enterprises and, as a hiree of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the Federal Capital Territory Administration as a special assistant to the Minister on project implementation. In 2015, following his election, Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai appointed her as Chief of Staff to the Governor of Kaduna State, thus becoming the first female to hold that position. When you thought that her suspension as the managing director of Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), following a public spat with then transport minister Rotimi Amaechi, she staged a comeback to prominence when she became the Deputy Director-General Administration of the Tinubu/Shettima APC Presidential Campaign Council for the 2023 presidential election. In June 2023, she was appointed Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination by Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Always in power circles, Hadza was married to economic analyst Tanimu Yakubu Kurfi, who served under the former (late) President Umaru Musa Yar’adua as economic adviser.

Together they have two boys. In 2011, Usman campaigned and lost for the federal constituency of Musawa/Matazu as a candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change. Her book, Stepping on Toes: My Odyssey at Nigerian Ports Authority, published by TheCable Books in April 2023, copiously detailed her resilience. Urged to blow her trumpet on account of the many positions she has occupied, she says with infectious modesty: “It’s difficult for me to talk about myself. I prefer my work to speak for me. I do have my curriculum vitae, which I can share, but I’m generally one of those who don’t enjoy talking about themselves. What truly matters is recognising the experience one brings to governance.” She readily admits, however, that “For over two decades, I’ve been part of the governance process – both at the federal and state levels – and have developed a deep understanding of how government should function. Through my career trajectory, I’ve experienced governance firsthand. I know what needs to be done, where the challenges lie, and the key ingredients necessary for a government to perform effectively.” Hadiza is proud of her accomplishments as chief of staff to the governor of Kaduna State, where she was deeply involved in deploying effective governance structures and pioneering special initiatives aligned with the governor’s commitments. Among these were the implementation of the Single Treasury Account (TSA), introduced zero-based budgeting, and improvement of personnel across ministries to enhance productivity. “But more importantly,” she recalls, “my role was about translating vision into reality.” It was then easy for her to apply those principles to the national level, including the Nigerian Ports Authority, where she curbed revenue leakages and ensured that third-party contractors delivered on their mandates.

Her present position enables her to operate across two main domains: policy coordination and delivery of high-impact results. She leads the Results Delivery and Coordination Unit, which has the responsibility of defining each minister’s mandate – identifying their key performance indicators (KPIs) and measurable deliverables. “We then dissect these mandates to create a holistic framework for each sector,” she explains. The office also addresses structural overlaps by defining the roles of Ministers of State across. Once mandates are clearly defined, the office translates them into deliverables that align with citizens’ pain points. Working collaboratively with ministries, it ensures that they take ownership of these goals and that deliverables are expressed in specific milestones. Hadiza gives a telling example of how her office has delivered on its mandate. “We’ve also addressed systemic issues, such as non-release of funds, which often hinder performance. Where such cases arise, we determine where the problem is – between the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General – and sort them out appropriately.” Describing its impact, she says her office has resulted in “a complete shift in governance style.” She says that “President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is determined to have a hands-on understanding of ministerial performance. Previously, the delivery unit was under the office of the Permanent Secretary for Cabinet Affairs, which had no direct access to the President. This limited its effectiveness. Now, my office provides the President with a clear line of sight into every ministry’s performance.” The impact of her office’s work has been felt across sectors such as education, agriculture, and security. In education, the President has been clear about his passion for Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET). Policies are being refined to improve funding for TVET, standardise certification, and strengthen linkages between vocational skills and industry needs. There has also been the recognition of the need to support graduates seeking ICT-related skills for self-employment. Nigeria, being one of the world’s largest English-speaking nations, has untapped opportunities in areas such as global voice-over services and outsourcing – areas we are working to harness through policy. Additionally, it has reviewed policies on language of instruction in primary schools. Currently, teaching in local languages up to Primary Four – before switching to English – has hindered progress in some regions. This policy is under review to balance cultural preservation with practical learning outcomes.

To ensure consistency across government, it has developed the Public Policy Formulation Guidelines and Framework — the first of its kind in Nigeria – that provides a standard process for developing, implementing, and monitoring policies. We validated this framework through consultations with global think tanks and academia. In agriculture, it has identified key policy pillars: mechanisation (tractorisation), farmer data and post-harvest management. It is working towards establishing a single national database of farmers – a one-stop shop for accurate agricultural data. Mechanisation policies are already in place, but implementation must be accelerated for optimal results. On food imports and border management, it’s about maintaining balance. During shortages, temporary imports may be necessary to cushion the impact, but not in a way that undermines domestic production. The Ministries of Agriculture and Finance must manage this balance carefully, guided by a policy document that defines thresholds and requires periodic review. Fertiliser regulation also remains critical – ensuring quality, availability, and affordability. We are monitoring players in that space to promote efficiency. Furthermore, there is a Presidential Initiative on post-harvest losses, creating funding pockets through a special adviser’s office. The next step is scaling these interventions for specific crops. The office recognises that security directly affects agriculture – farmers’ access to land, markets, and transportation routes. Encouragingly, some farmlands that were previously abandoned have been reopened in the past year, though much remains to be done. All relevant actors – led by the National Security Adviser – now work collaboratively under a harmonised framework. Insecurity varies across regions: insurgency in the North-East, banditry in the North-West and NorthCentral, and economic disruptions such as the sit-at-home orders in parts of the South-East. Each has direct economic consequences, especially for trade and agriculture. For example, transporting agricultural produce from the North to the South is often disrupted by attacks or multiple checkpoints imposing unofficial levies. The office is developing a policy to streamline checkpoints – identifying those essential for security and those that impede commerce. In the Niger Delta, to combat pipeline vandalism that continues to threaten oil production, the office is facilitating collaboration among the Nigerian Navy, the Office of the Upstream Adviser, and the National Security Adviser to secure critical infrastructure. Indeed, interventions in the South-East have reduced the impact of sit-at-home orders in several local governments, allowing economic activities to gradually resume.

Among the innovations of which Hadiza is most proud is the Delivery Tracker — or Citizens’ Tracker — a public platform that publishes all ministerial deliverables. It allows every Nigerian to see what the President considers high-impact deliverables for each ministry and the indicators by which ministers are evaluated. “For the first time in Nigeria’s history,” she explains, “this level of transparency exists in the public domain. Any citizen can now review a minister’s mandate, track progress, and ask questions.” This tool also enables us to receive feedback from citizens – to know what they perceive as progress or gaps across sectors. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is deeply committed to performance because he recognises that he has a social contract with Nigerians. He campaigned on a manifesto, and this tracker allows both government and citizens to measure progress not only against those campaign promises but also beyond them. Hadiza dreams of a Nigeria that is self-sufficient, “a nation that can feed itself, is safe, and is both a producer and an exporter. We are blessed with abundant natural resources and dynamic, talented people. Nigeria is unique in every sense. With the right systems in place, we can become a global exporter of talent, agricultural produce, and natural resources.” But she cautions: “We are on that trajectory, but we must strengthen key sectors – security, agriculture, education, healthcare, and infrastructure. We must also unlock the potential of our sports and creative economies. Nigeria’s young people are globally recognised athletes, artists, and innovators. If we nurture and scale these industries locally, the multiplier effects across the economy will be transformative.” She urges young Nigerians to “understand that the government’s role is to create an enabling environment, not to employ everyone. We need to embrace entrepreneurship – to identify the problems around us and develop solutions that create value and generate income. At the same time, we need more reform-minded Nigerians in government and politics – people passionate about public service, governance, and reform.“The next generation of leaders must step forward. Integrity, competence, and accountability are not optional traits – they are the foundation of effective public service. We must own who we are and lead with these values.”

Hassan is a Journalist

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