Every year, the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria (AMJON), holds its annual conference and awards to take stock of the preceding year and show appreciation to deserving patrons and stakeholders.
Point News247 reports that the 2021 edition of AMJON’s Annual Conference/Awards is slated to hold at the prestigious Sheraton Hotel Ikeja on Friday, 19th November, 2021.
The Conference is tagged; ‘Seamless Port Operations in Nigeria’.
According to the President of AMJON, Mr. Paul Ogbuokiri, the post COVID-19 edition has been repackaged to be the biggest event to be held by the vibrant Nigerian Maritime press this year.
He added that the topic is apt because it is set to unravel and proffer solutions to the myriads of bottlenecks bedeviling the industry and hindering it from achieving its full potentials.
On his part, Chairman Organising Committee, Mr Innocent Orok, disclosed that the event is billed to be the gathering of major stakeholders in the maritime industry as well as the allied transport and logistics chain sub-sectors.
Point News247 also gathered that the event will honour deserving and patriotic Nigerians working hard to reposition and change the narrative in the Nigerian maritime economy.
Orok noted that prominent industry figures, who despite the prevalent challenges, are recording giant strides will be honoured at the event.
This year’s awardees are; DG of NIMASA, Dr Bashir Jamoh; Acting MD of NPA, Mr Mohammed Bello-Koko; DG of SON, Mallam Farouk Salim; Rector of MAN, Oron, Comdr. Emmanuel Effedua and Gbenga Omotosho, Honourable Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Lagos State.
Others are, Comptroller Yusuf Malanta of Apapa Customs Command, Comptroller Festus Okun of PTML, Command, Comptroller Immigration, Ikoyi Passport Office, Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, President General, Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, Engr. Sarat Braimah, Lagos Area Manager NIWA, Tarzan Balogun, President ATBOWATON, Dr Koyode Farinto, National Vice President ANLCA, Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde, National Secretary ANLCA, Hajia Bola Muse, National Financial Secretary, ANLCA and Segun Alabi, President, Advocacy for Maritime Development Association, PTML terminal, ICNL, MMA and ONNE Chapters of ANLCA.
Orok further disclosed that the Minister of Transportation, Rt. Hon Rotimi Amaechi is the Guest of Honour and is slated to declare the two-day event open.
Meanwhile, President of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents ( ANLCA), Hon. Iju Tony Nwabunike has graciously accepted to chair the occasion.
Mr Orok said that the event would feature paper presentations by Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of Government agencies and Organisations including Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Grimaldi Group, Maritime Academy of Nigeria (MAN) Oron, among others.
The high point of this year’s event is the Award ceremony and launching of the AMJON Express Magazine, a Special Purpose publication packaged by the topnotch professionals in the association led by the award winning Maritime/Energy journalist, Mr Muyiwa Lucas as the Editorial Production Committee Chairman and Uzor Odigbo, an Editor at the Niche Newspaper as the Editor of the magazine.
Mr Orok stated that the Magazine would be a collector’s item and reference material for Maritime journalists and research material for students.
Meanwhile, the president of AMJON, Mr Paul Ogbuokiri has called on stakeholders in the industry to endevour to participate in this one of its kind event as issues concerning the industry will be dissected on sector by sector basis and way forward for the Nigerian maritime economy with a communique issued at the end of the programme.
He further noted that as the Nigerian maritime is seen as the unharnessed low hanging fruits for the President Mohammadu Buhari administration’s economy diversification vision away from its current state where oil & gas which is a diminishing asset is the mainstay of the economy, the hands of all stakeholders must be on deck to ensure that the maritime sector starts live up to its potentials.