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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎The story of STARZS Group’s phenomenal growth and impact in the past four decades, in many respects, mirrors Nigeria’s growth and advancement in all spheres. The story reflects boldness in vision, resilience in capacity, innovation in execution and steadfastness in the pursuit of excellence.
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‎Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, His Excellency Adegboyega Oyetola made the submission in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during an impressive ceremony by the company to celebrate her 40th anniversary. He was represented by the Director -General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr Dayo Mobereola.
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‎”As we celebrate this achievement, we are reminded that no action and no nation can attain sustainable maritime prosperity without a vibrant and competitive indigenous values sector. Government creates the enabling environment, but it is the enterprise, innovation, and doggedness of companies such as STARZS that transform policy into economic opportunity, create jobs, build local capacity, and deepen national prosperity.”
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‎”This conviction underpins the vision of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,  GCFR, in establishing the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy as a strategic platform for unlocking the immense potentials of Nigerian maritime domain. Our mandate is clear to position the marine and maritime blue economy as a major driver of economic diversification, industrial growth, food security, trade competitiveness, and national development. We will remain committed to expanding opportunities for indigenous compensation across the maritime planetary, whether in shipping, marine logistics, shipping management, offshore support services, shipbuilding, or marine engineering.”
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‎The Minister emphasized the Ministry’s objective which is to ensure that Nigerian companies are not just participants but leaders in the growth of the maritime economy.
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‎” We will continue to work with relevant institutions to strengthen local capacity, encourage responsible investment and create an environment in which indigenous businesses thrive. Human capital development remains central to this vision.”
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‎”The future of the maritime industry will ultimately depend on the quality, competence, and innovation of our people. We are therefore placing renewed emphasis on maritime education, seafarer development, technical skill acquisition, and greater collaboration with governments, academia, and industry to prepare the generation of new maritime professionals for Nigeria. Equally important is our commitment to maritime safety and security.”
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‎The progress Nigeria has made in securing its maritime domain through the Deep Blue project, Oyetola explained, has enhanced investor confidence and reinforced her standing within the Gulf of Guinea.
‎Nigeria shall continue to consolidate on these gains through stronger inter-agency collaboration, improved surveillance capabilities and sustained investment in maritime security infrastructure,  recognizing the fundamental importance of safe waters.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎The Service, he assured Nigerians, would continue to deploy intelligence, surveillance and enforcement strategies to dismantle smuggling syndicates operating along the nation’s borders.
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‎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.
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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.
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎She further advised operators to comply fully with the existing regulatory framework to avoid losses resulting from the interception of illegally diverted products.
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‎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.
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‎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.
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‎By Izuchukwu Ozoemena
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‎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.
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‎Oduwole stated this in Port Harcourt, Friday, while personally delivering a goodwill message at the 40th anniversary event of the STATZS Investments Company Ltd.
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‎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.
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‎”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.”
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‎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.
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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.
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‎”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.”
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‎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.
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‎”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.
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‎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!
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‎”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.”
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‎”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.
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‎”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.”
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