*As Shittu Leads Stakeholders to Grace Occasion
All is now set for the much awaited award dinner being organised by Nigerian Maritime Journalists to honour the excellent performance of the Comptroller-General of Nigeria Customs Service, Alhaji Bashir Adewale Adeniyi today Thursday, February 13, 2025..
The epoch-making event, which is the first of its kind in the Nigerian maritime industry, will hold at the Lagos Airport Hotel, Awolowo Road, Ikeja, Lagos State, by 6pm.
Already, the former National President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and Chairman of Skelas Group, Prince Olayiwola Shittu has agreed to lead other stakeholders in maritime industry to the event which is expected to attract other dignitaries from all walks of life.
Shittu who is a respected voice in the maritime sector of the economy especially among licensed customs agents where under his able leadership, ANLCA recorded many milestones including training and re-training members in Nigeria and overseas as well as the building of Dikko House, the imposing magnificent corporate headquarters of ANLCA in Lagos will also serve as the Chairman of the occasion.
Maritime Bits had reported that the Nigerian Maritime Journalists which comprises all the associations covering the maritime beat had come together to honour Adeniyi as the “Iconic Maritime Personality of Year 2024”.
The event, which was earlier scheduled to hold on January 16, 2025 was postponed due to what the organizers called “unforeseen circumstances”.
Secretary, Award Planning Committee, Mr. Innocent Orok in a statement made available to Maritime Bits said the need for the Nigerian maritime media practitioners to honour Adeniyi was a unanimous decision by all maritime journalists covering the maritime beat, cutting across print, electronic and online media, led by the different beat associations.
These include the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN), League of Maritime Editors (LOME), Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON), Maritime Journalists Association of Nigeria (MAJAN), Shipping Correspondents Association of Nigeria (SCAN), Online Maritime Media Association of Nigeria (OMMAN) and Congress of Nigerian Maritime Media Practitioners (CONMMEP), as well as those who do not belong to any association.
According to him, the maritime journalists believe that the Comptroller General of Customs (CGC) has registered sterling and excellent performance since assumption of office over a year ago.
These include unprecedented revenue collection, anti-smuggling activities, trade facilitation, national security, staff welfare, inter-agency collaboration, infrastructural upgrade, information and communication technology (ICT), and corporate social responsibility.
Continuing, the organisers said: “beside this superlative performance, we are also appreciating the CGC for his unrelenting support to the media, especially the maritime media. This honour is also to set an agenda for other agencies of government and their appointees that the ever vibrant and dogged maritime media are watching them”.
Apart from Shittu, the award ceremony will also attract special guests from sister-agencies, terminal operators, shipping companies, freight forwarders, Customs brokers, as well as other maritime stakeholders.
