Bola Atta Dirisu

Nigerian logistics innovator who transformed West African trade infrastructure

Bola Atta Dirisu (b. 1955) revolutionized West Africa's logistics sector through her creation of the TransAfrica Logistics Group in 1983. As Nigeria's first female port operator, she pioneered containerized shipping solutions that reduced cargo transit times by 60% across six countries. Her 1992 implementation of the Regional Cargo Tracking System became the basis for ECOWAS's modern trade protocols.

Ms. Dirisu's 1997 initiative Women in Maritime trained 800+ female engineers and port managers, creating a skilled workforce that enabled $1.2B in annual trade growth. Her 1999 book <《Efficient Trade Corridors for West Africa》 remains a key reference in supply chain management. In 2000, she established the West African Infrastructure Fund, providing $50M in loans to upgrade port facilities.

Her innovations directly contributed to Nigeria's port efficiency ranking improving from 89th to 42nd globally between 1990-2000. The African Development Bank credits her work with adding 1.2 million jobs in regional trade sectors.