Maritime Agencies
MAN, ORON: Minister, Governing Council, Celebrate Management and Cadets At 2025 Graduation Event
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The 2025 set of graduating cadets of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN), Oron, have received ministerial accolades even as they are being charged to carry on their shoulders the mandate to serve Nigeria and humanity through the noble calling of seafaring.
Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H. E. Adegboyega Oyetola gave the charge while speaking during the ceremonial Passing-Out-Parade (POP) in Oron, Akwa Ibom State.
Speaking through his representative, Mr Babatunde Bombata, the Minister said: “Today marks a major milestone in your journey as young Nigerians committed to serving your nation and humanity through the noble calling of seafaring. This event represents discipline, perseverance and the beginning of a life dedicated to professionalism, patriotism and excellence. I warmly congratulate the Class of 2025 for this well-deserved achievement. You have successfully completed rigorous academic, technical and physical training, and today, you stand as worthy ambassadors of this great academy and our beloved nation.”
He prayed that as they set sail into new horizons, the knowledge gained at MAN would serve as their compass. The world’s oceans await their skill, integrity and courage.
He commended the Acting Rector, Governing Council, Management and Staff of the Academy for their dedication and transformative leadership.
”In a short period, the Academy has evolved into a world-class institution, distinguished by advancements in infrastructure, curriculum modernization, simulator-based training and adherence to international standards such as the STCW Convention”.
”These accomplishments”, he added , “underscore the power of vision, teamwork and commitment to excellence. On behalf of the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, I appreciate all who contributed to this progress. The Ministry’s mission aligns with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda which seeks to unlock opportunities in shipping, port development, fisheries, maritime transport, marine tourism and offshore resources management. At the heart of this vision lies human capital development — and the Academy plays a vital role in preparing the skilled professionals needed to secure Nigeria’s rightful place in the global maritime community and sustainable use of this resources”.
Extolling the virtues of resilience and courage the graduating cadets acquired at the Academy, he reminded them that as they begin their career into the world, they must remember that they are ambassadors of both the Academy and Nigeria.
”The maritime profession demands discipline, integrity and a strong sense of duty. Let the values instilled in you guide your path. Uphold ethical standards, demonstrate professionalism and let your conduct bring pride to our national flag”.
Oyetola assured them that the Federal Government remains committed to strengthening the Academy through continued investment in modern training facilities, expansion of international partnerships, promotion of cadetship and sea-time opportunities, and advancement of research and innovation in maritime education.
”These initiatives aim to sustain MAN Oron’s reputation as a hub for world-class maritime training and leadership.”
Engr Kehinde Olayinka Akinola, Governing Council Chairman, MAN
In his presentation at the colourful event, the Academy’s Governing Council Chairman, Engr Kehinde Olayinka Akinola joined the Minister to laud the outgoing cadets and to reflect on what he described as the present achievement and the journey that has brought the graduating cadets and MAN to this point.
To the graduating cadets, he said: “Your hard work and determination have paid off, and you should be incredibly proud of yourselves. As you go forth, remember that the skills and knowledge you have acquired here are not just a means to a career, but a foundation for a lifetime of learning, growth, and service.As you embark on your maritime careers, I urge you to remain committed to the values of safety, sustainability, and social responsibility. ”
”The maritime industry is a vital component of global trade and commerce, and it is your responsibility to ensure that it operates in a manner that is consistent with these values.”
By way of a parting word, he drew the graduating cadets’ attention to an evergreen statement of Nelson Mandela:
”The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”
As you go forth, he admonished, remember that setbacks and challenges are an inevitable part of life. But it is how you respond to them that will define your character and determine your success. Let your mantra be ‘you never fail until you stop trying’.
Dr Kevin Okonna, Ag Rector, MAN
Engr Akinola expressed gratitude to the Acting Rector, Dr Kevin Okonna, the faculty and staff of MAN for tireless efforts in shaping the minds and characters of the cadets.
” Your dedication, expertise, and passion for teaching have been instrumental in preparing our graduates for success. Your tenacity in creating opportunities for sea time training for our cadets is well appreciated.”
Group picture with graduating cadets
He lauded the parents and guardians of the graduating cadets for showing unwavering support and encouragement.
”Your role in the lives of our cadets has been invaluable, and we are grateful for your partnership.”
Maritime Agencies
OPERATION WHIRLWIND: Customs Auctions 20,500 Litres Of Confiscated PMS, NMDPRA Warns Against Products Diversion.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
The Operation Whirlwind interventionist outfit of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has vowed to aggressively confront and combat the menace of illegal diversion and cross-border smuggling of petroleum products.
National Coordinator of the outfit, Deputy Controller of Customs Abubakar Lucky Aliyu made the pledge in Ikeja, Monday, as he supervised the public auction of 20, 500 litres of premium motor spirit (PMS) contained in 820 jerrycans of 25 litres each
intercepted from smugglers through intelligence-led operations along major smuggling corridors in Imeko, Ilara, Ilaro, Idiroko and Seme. Five vehicles used to convey the products were also seized, bringing the combined Duty Paid Value (DPV) of the petroleum products and vehicles to about ₦38 million.
Aliu described Operation Whirlwind as a strategic initiative established by the Comptroller General of Customs, Dr Bashir Adewale Adeniyi to curb the illegal exportation of petroleum products, safeguard Nigeria’s energy security, protect government revenue and ensure that fuel meant for domestic consumption remains available in-country.
DC Aliyu warned that petroleum products smuggling continues to undermine the nation’s economy by disrupting local fuel supply, encouraging artificial scarcity, depriving government of revenue and financing criminal activities.
The Service, he assured Nigerians, would continue to deploy intelligence, surveillance and enforcement strategies to dismantle smuggling syndicates operating along the nation’s borders.
He commended the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), partner security agencies and officers of Operation Whirlwind for their sustained collaboration in tackling petroleum smuggling.
Mrs Grace Dauda
Also speaking at the event, the representative of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Mrs. Grace Dauda, reaffirmed the Authority’s commitment to partner with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the Nigeria Customs Service under Operation Whirlwind.
While NMDPRA remains committed to creating an enabling environment for legitimate business, she explained, operators in the downstream petroleum sector must strictly comply with regulatory requirements governing the movement of petroleum products.
Marketers are free to transport products to any part of the country for lawful commercial purposes, provided every consignment is properly manifested from the point of loading to its final destination.
She stressed that proper documentation enables regulators to monitor the movement of petroleum products nationwide, prevent diversion into illegal channels and ensure adequate supply for households, agriculture, fisheries and small and medium-scale industries.
Dauda urged Nigerians to support the fight against fuel smuggling by reporting suspicious movements of petroleum products to NMDPRA offices located across the 36 states or to other relevant security agencies.
She further advised operators to comply fully with the existing regulatory framework to avoid losses resulting from the interception of illegally diverted products.
The NMDPRA representative commended the Comptroller-General of Customs, the Authority Chief Executive of the NMDPRA and the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind for strengthening inter-agency collaboration in protecting Nigeria’s petroleum resources and promoting legitimate business activities.
Both agencies reaffirmed their commitment to intensifying intelligence gathering, surveillance and enforcement operations to eliminate petroleum smuggling, protect the nation’s energy security and safeguard Nigeria’s economy.
Maritime Agencies
Jumoke Oduwole, Industry, Trade and Investments Minister, Commends STARZS at 40, Tasks African Trade Ministers on AfCFTA.
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Nigeria’s Trade and Investment Minister, Dr Jumoke Oduwole has described forty years in the life of any establishment as a generational milestone. In a sector as capital-intensive and technically demanding as marine and offshore logistics, she added, it is even more significant.
Oduwole stated this in Port Harcourt, Friday, while personally delivering a goodwill message at the 40th anniversary event of the STATZS Investments Company Ltd.
She commended Engr Greg Ogbeifun, the STARZS Founder and the STARZS Group, for standing tenaciously against all operational odds to clock 40 years in active business and still counting.
”Today, we are not simply celebrating longevity. We are recognizing sustainability in institution building. From an entrepreneurial vision in 1986, STARZS has grown to operate a fleet of 11 offshore support vessels, employed more than 200 professionals and executed over 35 offshore marine contracts since 2010.”
Those figures, she explained, represent Nigerian assets, Nigerian enterprise and Nigerian jobs. They prove that Nigerian firms can build technical capability and competing contracts sectors.
The Minister (right) in a warm embrace with Ms Iro Ogbeifun, the SICL MD/CEO (left).
”I am extremely pleased to witness what Engr Greg Ogbeifun has built, and I must say I am particularly proud to see Engr Ogbeifun’s star mentee of mine of many, many years, and a serial entrepreneur in her own right (Ms Iroghama Ogbeifun) leading the institution into its second generation.
”The 40 for 40 initiative, supporting 40 beneficiaries with maritime education and skills opportunity, is also a fitting reminder that enduring institutions do not only build businesses, they build people. So when you have a father like this, you build people, build generations. This milestone comes as an important moment for African children.”
Mrs Oduwole announced that in addition to Nigeria serving as co-champion for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Protocol on Digital Trade, she recently assumed the chair of the AfCFTA Council of Ministers responsible for Trade.
”Our focus is clear. The implementation must translate into practical opportunities for businesses that service over 1.4 billion Africans. That is why Nigeria has developed dedicated AfCFTA logistic solutions to lower the cost of reaching African markets. Through our expanded Rwanda Air Corridor, with Uganda Air and Rwanda Air, air cargo rates that ranged from 3 to 10 USD per kilogram on commercial routes have been brought to under 2 dollars per kilogram. So the air cargo corridor goes to 13 southern and eastern African countries. This is what trade must deliver: lower costs and real routes to market.
The Minister made it clear that for the avoidance of doubt, the real opportunity for trading across the continent obviously lies in the maritime sector, an area the STARZS Group is already making waves!
”As intra-African trade grows”, she explained, “so will demand for stronger coastal shipping, more efficient regional corridors, and logistic systems capable of moving goods competitively across the continent. A company with four decades of maritime experience is already positioning deliberately for that future. I’m aware of some discussions on the West African Corridor.”
”I’m aware of interests from Angola and other southern African regions. And I know it’s just a matter of time before that vision presents itself fully. This also speaks directly to our mandate at the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment and to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to expand productive capability, deepen local value chains, and create the conditions for Nigerian enterprises to scale across Africa and beyond.
”In this regard, the wider STARZS ecosystem to work towards expanded additional shipping capability, including a 9,000-ton lifting capacity, is significant. Nigeria needs more investment that retains value locally, develops specialized skills, and reduces dependence on services sourced outside our economy. So, as STARZS enters its fifth decade, my charge is simple: build with greater skill and continental ambition, invest deeper in technology and talent. And apply 40 years of Nigerian maritime experience to the opportunities now emerging across an increasingly integrated African market.”
By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
Comptroller Oshoba of the Apapa Customs Command has said that the latest seizures highlights the Command’s unwavering vigilance and preparedness to intercept prohibited items, particularly illicit drugs that endanger public health, safety and national security. He emphasized that the action aligns with the zero-tolerance directive of the Comptroller-General of Customs, Dr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi MFR against all forms of illicit trade in the nation’s ports.
The CAC reaffirms the Command’s resolve to facilitate legitimate trade while rigorously enforcing the law against the importation of prohibited and restricted goods even as he commended officers of the Command for their diligence and professionalism in carrying out the examination.
The Comptroller was unveiling Twenty-Six Billion, Five Hundred and Sixty- Nine Million, Eight Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand,Seven Hundred and Seventy-One Naira (₦26,569,847,771) only worth of Cannabis Indica weighing 4,143.5 kilograms confiscated during a routine examination in collaboration with the personnel of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Command’s Enforcement Unit.
Relying on credible intelligence together with the NDLEA, the Customs Area Controller (CAC), Comptroller Emmanuel Oshoba had directed that the 1×40ft container number FANU1933352, be subjected to thorough examination which resulted in the discovery on Friday, 10 July 2026.
The container was found to contain Three (3) used vehicles- Red Nissan Micra (2015 model) Black Toyota Corolla S (2019 model) and Gray Toyota Corolla (2015 model) A thorough search of the container led to the discovery of 162 bags containing a total of 8,287 parcels of Cannabis Indica. Each parcel weighs 500 grams.
A breakdown of the seizure shows that Four (4) bags were found concealed inside the Red Nissan Micra (2015 model). The remaining 158 bags were recovered from the floor of the container and in the spaces between the 3 vehicles. No illicit substances were found in the Black Toyota Corolla S (2019 model) or the Gray Toyota Corolla (2015 model).
According to a release by Chief Superintendent of Customs Isah Sulaiman, the Command’s image maker, the CAC said:
”This seizure once again demonstrates our untiring commitment in ensuring that only lawful trade thrives in Apapa Port. As we intensify investigation into the matter, I want to reiterate that this command has made the port a no go area for any thing forbidden by our laws.
”Let me use this opportunity to rebuild the confidence of our compliant traders and assure them once again that they would always enjoy the many trade facilitation incentives emplaced by the Comptroller General of Customs”, he concluded.
Comptroller Oshoba ordered the seizure of the 1×40ft container in accordance with the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023 and extant laws.
OPERATION WHIRLWIND: Customs Auctions 20,500 Litres Of Confiscated PMS, NMDPRA Warns Against Products Diversion.
Jumoke Oduwole, Industry, Trade and Investments Minister, Commends STARZS at 40, Tasks African Trade Ministers on AfCFTA.
Apapa Port Customs Seizes Cannabis Sativa Worth over N26.5bn
STARZS INVESTMENTS COMPANY LTD: 40 Years of Private Indigenous Initiative, Shaping Nigeria’s Maritime Future.
Starzs Group Emphasizes Sustainable Corporate Social Responsibility, Urges Government to Strengthen Education Infrastructure.
STARZS CEO Commissions School Projects, Champions Environmental Protection and Tree -Planting to Mark 40th Anniversary.
Starzs’ 40th Anniversary : Group’s CSR Will Rewrite Our Story, Benefitting Communities Say.
Starzs’ 40th Anniversary: Company Doles out Scholarships to 40 Youths from Host Communities, Maritime Institutions.
STARZS 40TH ANNIVERSARY: ‘We are Faith-based, And Doing Well’- CEO Iroghama …Thanks Founder For Laying Solid Foundation
DATELINE: JULY 4, 2026. Faces at Starzs Investments Company’s Special Thanksgiving in Port Harcourt to Celebrate 4 Decades of Existence.
Starzs Investments Begins Week-long Celebration of her 40th Anniversary With a Thanksgiving Service.
LFTZ Customs Achieves Highest Monthly Revenue of Over N87 bn in June; Over N408bn Half-year, 2026.
STARZS INVESTMENTS COMPANY LTD @40: Four Decades of Advancing Indigenous Maritime Excellence.
WAR ON ILLICIT DRUGS: CGC Adeniyi Showers Commendations on Apapa Customs, Hands over Massive Contrabands to NDLEA, NAFDAC
Tincan Customs Pledges Strong Partnership with the Media, Sues for Total Compliance by Stakeholders.
Maritime Stakeholders Caution Journalists on Ethical Standards As MARAN Inaugurates New Leadership.
1. EXECUTIVE PLATFORM. AMES 2024: TIME TO CHANGE GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS SHIPPING DEVELOPMENT IS NOW, AMES President Charges FG.
2023 ELECTIONS：CILT Hosts Seminar on Logistics & Electoral Process
APFFLON Seeks Immediate Reform of CRFFN, Replacement of Registrar.
B’ODOGWU TRADE PORTAL: Customs Consolidates, Pilots Form ‘M’ Processing.
OMIS AWARDS, 2022: Greg Ogbeifun, Industry Gurus For Special Recognition.
JANUARY-MAY REPORT: Seme Customs Hits N2.6bn, Facilitates ₦35.1bn Exports.
HALF YEAR, 2024: Apapa Customs Nets ₦1.024 Trillion, Records 143% Increase.
B’Odogwu: Apapa Customs Collects ₦161b in 3 Weeks, Assures of Improvements .
PHOTO NEWS: Maritime Capacity Development
FG Set To Re-establish National Shipping Line, To Take Advantage of $10 bn Annual Ship Charter Market.
Photo News: Salah Celebration
Sylvanus Ekpo, ex-Editor, Shipping World Magazine, loses Mum
Mama Theresa Enisuoh Due For Burial April 27
MAN, ORON: It’s Encomiums Galore From International Seabed Authority (ISA).
WAR AGAINST OIL THEFT: Tompolo’s Company Nabs VLCC Laden With Crude Oil
TRADE FACILITATION: FULFIL CUSTOMS REQUIREMENTS, ENJOY AEO, B’ODOGWU, says Ayokunle.
-
Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoMARAN Makes History June 23 as it Inaugurates New Leadership.
-
Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoSTARZS INVESTMENTS COMPANY LTD @40: Four Decades of Advancing Indigenous Maritime Excellence.
-
Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoTincan Customs Pledges Strong Partnership with the Media, Sues for Total Compliance by Stakeholders.
-
Maritime Agencies3 weeks agoMaritime Stakeholders Caution Journalists on Ethical Standards As MARAN Inaugurates New Leadership.
-
Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoLFTZ Customs Achieves Highest Monthly Revenue of Over N87 bn in June; Over N408bn Half-year, 2026.
-
Maritime Agencies1 week agoStarzs’ 40th Anniversary: Company Doles out Scholarships to 40 Youths from Host Communities, Maritime Institutions.
-
Maritime Agencies2 weeks agoWAR ON ILLICIT DRUGS: CGC Adeniyi Showers Commendations on Apapa Customs, Hands over Massive Contrabands to NDLEA, NAFDAC
-
Celebration1 week ago
DATELINE: JULY 4, 2026. Faces at Starzs Investments Company’s Special Thanksgiving in Port Harcourt to Celebrate 4 Decades of Existence.