30th Anniversary: Why PortNews will honour bonded terminal operators – Wale Oni

The Publisher/Editor in Chief of PortNews Newspaper, Mr. Wale Oni, has stated that the highlight of the 30th anniversary of PortNews will be a conferment of appreciation awards on a number of distinguished container bonded terminal operators in the Lagos Port District.

The anniversary/annual lecture will take place on Thursday, November 6, 2025 at Rockview Hotel, Apapa, Lagos. The event will start by 10 am.

The President of African Shipowners Association (ASA), Captain Ladi Olubowale, is billed to deliver the lecture, titled “Nigeria’s Shipping Carriage Gaps, CVFF and the Fading Manpower.”

Among those listed for honour are Chief Dennis Okafor of Denca Services Terminal, Chief Famous Enearu of Classic Bonded Terminal, Chief Peter Oge Obih of Seamap Terminal, HRH Damian Obianigwe of Fano Bonded Terminal, Chief Mike Nwaukoni of Migfo Terminal and Barrister Caleb Muoka of Zarmmak Bonded Terminal.

According to Mr. Wale Oni, presently, these astute freight forwarders and businessmen have been displaced and left out of the scheme of things in the Nigerian maritime industry owing to policy errors of the federal government.

Nonetheless, they have remained resolute and relevant through shrewd business adaptations. We will not forget their salutary past contributions.

Some twenty five years ago when Nigeria’s economy bubbled and Nigerian ports were overwhelmed with an avalanche of containers and Apapa and Tincan ports were bursting at their seams, it was these selfless, hardworking and patriotic and longstanding freight forwarders that the federal government pleaded with to build off dock container terminals as a buffer for the mother ports.

They did build these terminals ,at the risk of bank loans and defaults,and helped government decongest the ports.

Cumulatively, these terminals raked in trillions of Naira in for federal government. They also gave gainful employments, directly and indirectly, to thousands of Nigerians.

However, in 2006, the ports were concessioned without any consideration or quota reserved for indigenous bonded terminal operators. The ports are now bubbling and even overstretched but the offdock terminals and their indigenous owners are left in the lurch, and nobody cares.

“PortNews will honour and celebrate these titans for their past efforts on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. We must acknowledge patriotism, we must appreciate selfless and hardworking personalities in the Nigerian maritime industry. It is a sector of work and endless work that culminates in trillions of Naira and no thank you from the authorities.

“PortNews will show gratitude to these terminal operators and indeed other stakeholders with awards of distinctions,” said Oni.

The first edition of PortNews Newspaper hit the newsstands on Monday, November 6, 2025.