From left: President of Women in Maritime Africa WIMA, Mrs. Jean Chiazor Anishere presenting a plague of recognition to the Managing Director of the  Nigerian Ports Authority NPA, Hadiza Bala Usman during the courtesy visit recently in Lagos.

The Nigerian Ports Authority NPA has restated that the current management is committed to supporting and encouraging developmental programmes and goals initiated by credible women organisations across all spheres of the nation, especially in the area of manpower development and utilisation.

Managing Director of the authority, Hadiza Bala Usman gave this assurance when she played host to the executive members of Women in Maritime Nigeria at the authority’s headquarters on Marina, Lagos.

She told stakeholders that the present management has over time collaborated with groupsand captains of industries meaningfully on developmental programmesto better the economy, assuring that NPA was willing to further sustain these in other to ensure the progress of the nation.

Meanwhile, President of the association, Mrs. Jean Chiazor-Anishere stated that the group which is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO)was at the NPA to solicit co-operation especially for their project in the rural areas aimed atencouraging women in these vital areas who are into fishing.

According to her, they require driers, freezers amongst others. The African Union AU she enthused has a policy tagged ‘’Blue Economy’’ which recognizes the role of the ‘’Aqua Culture”through which women would be empowered for greater self-sustenance and relief to the economy. This she said is anencouragement for them to achieve in their set target – women empowerment.

In a related development, the NPA MD also charged gainfully employed women to imbibe the culture of commitment, dedication and most importantly be focused so as to be effective on their agenda particularly in a male dominated environment.

She made this call while receiving the top echelon of the Women in Journalism led by its President Ifeyinwa Omowale who paid a courtesy visit to her at the NPA in Marina, Lagos recently.

The NPA managing director also called the stakeholders to support the authority, especially in terms of its empowerment programmes, which she said is a necessary ingredient for national development.

The group eulogised the new management of the NPA stressing that their contribution to the sector is most appreciated by the Stakeholders.