From right: Minister of State for Transport, Senator Gbemi Saraki and Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Mohammed Bello-Koko at the presentation of official letter of appointment in Abuja, Monday.

The Federal Ministry of Transport on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria has issued an official letter of confirmation to Mohammed Bello-Koko as the substantive Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA. This new development ends days and months of speculation as to whether he would be confirmed or not.

This is also coming less than one week after President Muhammadu Buhari officially confirmed his appointment, having been on acting capacity since May l7, last year as the substantive Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority NPA.

A statement by the Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Eric Ojiekwe, had last week said the appointment took immediate effect.

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry Dr Magdalene Ajani on Monday presented official letter announcing his confirmation as the Managing Director of the authority on behalf of the authority.

Recall that President Buhari had on May 7, 2021, approved the appointment of Bello Koko as the acting Managing Director of the NPA. This was sequel to the suspension and subsequent sack of the former Managing Director, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman over allegations of graft.

Prior to his appointment on acting caacity, Bello Koko was the Executive Director, Finance and Administration, a position he held between 2015 and May, 2021.

Born on 25th March 1969 in Koko-Besse Local Government area of Kebbi State, Bello- Koko obtained his SSCE certificate from the Federal Government College, Sokoto in 1986.

In 1992, he obtained a degree in Management studies from the University of Sokoto. Mohammed Koko obtained a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto in 1995.

Mohammed Koko worked as an Executive Trainee-Banking Operations at the FSB International Bank Plc, Port Harcourt in 1996.

Before leaving FSB International Bank Plc, Port Harcourt in 2004, he has worked in different capacities. In 2005, Mohammed Koko joined Zenith Bank as the Manager-Team Head, Public Sector and Large Corporate. He subsequently was promoted to Senior Manager- Head Public.

He was the Assistant General Manager/Zonal Head in-charge of Branches under one of Rivers/Bayelsa Zones.

He became a member of the Zenith Bank Executive management team after he was promoted to the Deputy General Manager and Zonal Head.

In 2015, he was appointed the Executive Director Finance of the Nigerian Ports Authority by President Buhari.

In May 2021, Mohammed Koko was appointment the acting Managing Director of the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) after Hadiza Bala Usman was suspended from office.

In February 2002, President Buhari approved the appointment of Mohammed Bello Koko as the substantive managing director for the Nigerian Ports Authority. Mohammed Koko is married with children. He is a Muslim.

In the last six months, the acting MD had made giant strides that have far-reaching positive effects not only on the NPA, but also the shipping industry as a whole. One of these giant strides as the rejigging of the Electronic Call-Up system called ‘eto’ for trucks and articulated vehicles operating at the seaports in Lagos, which has cleared the perennial gridlock in Apapa by over 85 per cent.

He also streamlined barge operations with the formulation of Standard Operating Procedures SOP for the barge operators, which have enhanced quick evacuation of cargo including empty containers in and out of the ports.

Another major feat was the introduction and strict implementation of empty container policy, which made it mandatory for shipping lines to establish holding bays for their empty containers as well as making it compulsory for them to take a minimum of 80per cent of the containers they brought in from the empties stock so as to reduce the incidence of empty container-bearing trucks being parked on port access roads. This is in addition to the clearing all port approaches of shanties, which constituted impediments to free movement of vehicles under its Operation Green’ policy.

The acting is also reputed to have operationalised e-payment systems and other vessel clearance procedure while working assiduously towards a Port Community Single Window, which when fully operational, would integrate all port systems, among several lofty initiatives.