Tribute: The Rise and Transition to Glory of NPA’s Paul (Texas) Erakhifu

By  Ikechukwu Onyemekara

FROM humble beginnings at the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), where he was employed on Monday, 17 October, 1994 (the same month of his birth) as a junior staff on Grade Level 3, Paul Ikherovba Erakhifu—popularly known as “Texas”—by dint of diligence, determination, discipline, and desire, rose to the defining role of senior staff Grade Level 13. His was a career marked by sterling contributions and indelible impact until his return to his Maker on Friday, 1 May 2026.

Although we cannot determine our appointed date of birth and death, we definitely can determine how we want to be remembered, Texas by his uncommon commitment to his craft (Photography) and his contagious sense of humor which he generously doled out to all who came in contact with him definitely and intentionally set out to be remembered for good.

Looking back, it is plausible that with his popular refrain “you have made my day” and “powerful”—his default response to those who encountered him—late Texas was informing us that he would make his days on earth powerful. This he did with grace and honour, as can be gleaned from his professional trajectory.

Not one to squander opportunities for career growth and personal development, Texas earned a Bachelor of Arts in Literature in 2005, a Master’s degree in International Relations in 2012, and an MSc in Mass Communication. He was truly poised to get ahead and meet the exigencies of his chosen craft.

Texas trained at the London Film Academy, London Academy of Media, Film & Television and the Texas School of Photography USA in fulfillment of his lifelong admiration for the American city of Texas for which he adopted the sobriquet “TEXAS”.

The life and times of Texas validated the Biblical truism that “a man diligent in his business shall stand before kings and not mean men.

Indeed, Texas was diligent in his business and stood before kings, both in Nigeria and internationally. As a widely travelled professional, he handled high-level official engagements in the company of various chief executives of the Authority, conducting business in Belgium, Germany, the UK, USA, Japan, and across Africa, including Ghana, Togo, Congo, and South Africa, among others.

Surely, Texas will be missed because he has left a vacuum so wide and difficult to fill. However, we will take solace in the immortal words of James Wrubel that “no one truly dies who is remembered.” We continue to remember and celebrate his good deeds, exceptional sense of humor, and his contribution to the advancement of knowledge, evidenced by his authorship of two books with which he lighted paths and lightened burdens.

Ikechukwu Onyemekara is the General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications at the NPA.