PortNews to mark 30th Anniversary, honours Badaru, Ihenacho, Afolabi, Haastrup, NPA, NCAA, Greenview, Flour Mills, ICNL, others

PortNews will be 30 years on Thursday 6th of November 2026. The anniversary will be marked with series of events which include seminal lectures, awards presentations and cultural displays. Venue is Rockview Hotel, Park Lane, Apapa, Lagos.

The celebration becomes worthwhile not only for the 30 years but for the fact that, overtime, PortNews, as a progenitor, has spearheaded a genre of journalism, maritime publishing, with a spin-off of about forty media companies that provide jobs for hundreds of Nigerians.

Beginning from darkroom production in the 90s to present day digital, fast paced production, through heart rendering economic upheavals in Nigeria, PortNews has weathered the storm, dishing out positive developmental maritime and aviation reportage. The newspaper’s forte basically is painting Nigeria in bright colours through terrific writings.

Over thirty years, PortNews has witnessed well enough, good and bad, and participated well enough and could afford the luxury to be judgemental.

The highlight of the event is the Anniversary Lecture entitled: Nigeria’s Shipping Carriage Gaps, CVFF and the Fading Manpower. Captain Ladi Olubowale, President, African Shipowners Association (ASA) will deliver the lecture.

It is a genuine concern, a honest search for our lost glorious past when we had about thirty vessels that bestrode oceans around the world. It is an effort to align with and consummate the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency’s (NIMASA) patriotic vision that berthed and governs the Cabotage Vessel Financing Fund (CVFF).

Going further, a set of Anniversary Port Awards will be presented to some deserving institutions and individuals who have made significant and positive strides in the industry. These are wealth and job creators, economy movers. After all, the freight forwarding industry contributes outstandingly to revenue generation into the national coffers.

They include the Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA). This organization’s existence almost predates Nigeria. But significantly and indisputably, since 1954, NPA has consistently rendered revenues into the national purse and given gainful employments to Nigerians more than any organization. The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) will be honoured for its modernisation efforts and, more importantly, for ensuring that air transportation in Nigeria is 100 percent safe recently.

Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) will be given a deserved award. The organization, for sixty five years, has significantly guaranteed Nigeria’s food security. Inland Container Nigeria Limited (ICNL), pioneer of off-dock container administration over forty years, will receive an award. Greenview Development Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Dangote Group, will receive an award too.

Alhaji Dr Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, a long standing shipping magnate, is the doyen of RoRo shipping in Nigeria. Captain Emmanuel lhenacho, former Minister of lnterior, a respected Master Mariner and voice of the industry, will get a special award for his incomparable contributions in shipping development.

Mr Bashiru Adewale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of Customs, is the first Nigerian to be elected as Chairman of World Customs Organization. He has brought pride home to Nigeria.  His B’Odogwu lT tool has revolutionized customs cargo clearance process.  He will be honoured.

Dr Taiwo Afolabi will be honoured for his entrepreneurship in shipping and terminal operations. Dr Boniface Aniebonam and Prince Shittu Olayiwola will be honoured for their tenacity and brilliance as freight forwarders, customs trade consultants and critical policy analysts. Olori Vicky Haastrup of ENL will also be recognized for the wonderful leadership exhibited by her with the successes at ENL Terminal and Seaport Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria, ( STOAN). Otunba Johnson Oyewole Fashawe, a longstanding freight forwarder and industry collosus will be honoured for his pioneering endeavors in the industry.

Mr Piere Luigi Carrodano, the immediate past Group Managing Director of NALComet Group,  will get a deserved award for spending close to 50 years in Nigeria during which period he built Comet Shipping from the scrap to its present collosal status, and for mentoring hundreds of Nigerians who are doing well in aspects of the shipping profession. Comet Shipping Agencies on its own will get an award for pioneering roles in indigenous shipping and maritime trade.

Chief Dennis Okafor of Denca Services, one of the largest employers of labour in the sector, will get an award. Also on the list are Chief Mike Nwaukoni of Migfo Terminal, Chief Peter Obih of Seamap Terminal, Chief Mike Enearu of Classic Terminal, Chief Cyprian Nwankwo of Advanced International Merchants Terminal and the Ultimate Terminal. The largest offdock terminals in the Lagos District,  Zarmmak Terminal and Bellington EPT will get awards. These are patriotic big investors who have helped NPA and the federal government to decongest the ports at critical moments of debilitating overload.

The National Deputy President of the Association of Nigeria Licenced Customs Agents, Prince Segun Oduntan is also slated for an award for helping to restore peace to the organization and giving it a befitting face-lift. Hajia Bola Muse of Bomarah will be given an award for her humanity role and contributions to the growth of freight forwarding sector in Nigeria.

As PortNews marks the 30th Anniversary, we envision a better future for Nigeria’s shipping and aviation sub sectors of the economy where our sea carriage and air carriage, both worth  10 billion dollars annually, will be functional and discard  potentiality for actuality.