Amb (Dr) Bamanga Tukur is a great man who has done a lot to better the lives of many people across Africa. He has also done a lot in business.
The big news is that this accomplished elder statesman will
be 85 in a matter of days and everyone is excited about this.
He has an intimidating and towering profile that shows how accomplished
he is.
Dr. Bamanga Tukur is an industrialist, a politician, an
elder statesman, an entrepreneur and an ambassador per excellence. He has
devoted his intellectual and political gifts to ensuring that a good heritage
is built upon outstanding global best practices to ensure a good business
environment for the nation. He has extensive experience in the country’s
transportation and logistics systems with significant investments both within
and outside the continent.
Alhaji Bamanga M. Tukur had his elementary
education in Jada between 1944 and 1949. He proceeded to Yola Middle School
(Now Ramat College in 1949-53, and completed his Secondary School Education at
Bauchi between 1953-1957, where he passed his West African School Certificate
(WASC) in flying colours.
He worked briefly, for the then Adamawa Nature
Authority as Local Government Accountant and thereafter left for Zaria
Institute of Administration, Ahmadu Bello University in 1958 for an
administrative course meant for the executive and administrative cadre. Having
completed the course, he joined the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in the then
former Northern Nigeria Regional Government as Executive Officer for a short
while. In 1959, he was transferred to Federal Service and joined the Nigerian
Ports Authority as a management cadet.
In 1960, he proceeded to the United Kingdom and gained
admission into the North Western Polytechnic. In 1962, he obtained his
graduateship of the Institute of Transport before he went to study Transport
Economics in the London School of Management Personnel. In 1965, he received his Master’s Degree in
Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.
He came back to Nigeria at the end of 1963 and in
1964, he was appointed Management Assistant in the Nigerian Ports Authority, a
post meant for the preparation of top Management Personnel.
In 1965, he proceeded to the United States and
entered graduate school of Public and International Affairs, University of
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he pursued his post-graduate studies and
completed it in 1966. On his return back to Nigeria, he was promoted to
Assistant Chief Traffic and Commercial Manager, a post he held up till 1970.
In 1970, he was appointed by General Yakubu Gowon
as Port Manager, Lagos Port Complex and charged with the responsibility of
clearing congestion in our national ports as evidenced by the Decree No. 13 of
1970. Alhaji Tukur demonstrated the highest quality of leadership, skill and
dedication to duty in performing that assignment which earned him the nickname
of “Mr. Port”. Indeed, the history of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) will never
be complete without mentioning the contribution of Alhaji Tukur. Nigeria owes
him gratitude to this effect.
In recognition of his sterling quality, honesty
and dedication to duty, the late General Murtala Mohammed, appointed him
General Manager/Chief Executive of Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), at a time
when numerous Chief Executives in government parastatals were being removed
from office, due to malpractice of all sorts. A great testimony to his honesty
and dedication to duty.
In 1980, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur was awarded
Fellowship of the Institute of Transport, London for his professional
excellence in the field of transportation. He was elected Vice-Chairman of
International Ports and Harbours Association, representing Europe and Africa,
1977-1982, a post ever to be held by an African. In 1980, Alhaji B. Tukur was
Chairman International Cargo Handling Association (ICHA) and conferred with an
honorary life Presidency of West and Central African Ports Management
Association. He retired in 1982, having served the nation in various fields of
transportation in the country with a record of having been a director of
Nigeria Railway Corporation, Nigeria National Shipping Line, Nigeria Airways
and central Water Corporation Company.
He went into politics immediately after retirement.
With these strings of excellent credentials, he was elected Civilian Governor
of the defunct Gongola State (now Adamawa and Taraba States) in 1983 under the
National Party of Nigeria (NPN). In 1994 and 1995, he was a member of the
Federal Executive Council and Honourable Minister of Industries of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. In November 1996,
he was appointed a member of the Vision 2010 Committee. He is also a member of the National Council
on Nigerian Vision (NCNV).
In January 2002, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur was conferred with the National Honour of the
Commander of the Order of the Mono (COM) by President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo in recognition of
his contribution to business in Africa.
Also in 2002, he was appointed to the Ghana Investors Advisory Council by H.E. President John Kufuor of Ghana.
In September 2003, Alhaji Tukur was appointed a
member of the OECD Africa Investment Advisory Board.
Alhaji Tukur received the Nigerian National Award
of the ‘Commander of the Order of the Niger – ‘CON’ conferred on him by H.E.
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
in December 2003.
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