Headlines

Edward Osagie, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, Muyiwa Akande emerge finalists at 2025 National spokesperson award

Funso OLOJO

Three outstanding spokespersons in the maritime industry were among the 62 finalists who have been shortlisted for recognition across 21 competitive categories in the 2025 edition of the ‘National Spokespersons’ Awards’ (NSAwards).

The three top performers in the maritime industry who will slog it out among the 62 finalists for the diadem are Messr Edward Osagie, the Head of Pubic Relations Department of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Ikechukwu Onyemekara, General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communication Department of the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA) and Muyiwa Akande, Head of Public Relations unit of Sifax Group.

These three super spokespersons fought their way through to the final that will hold on April 16th, 2025 in Abuja.

Osagie of NIMASA emerged a finalist in three categories which include Spokesperson of the year which happens to be the lead category, Outstanding spokesperson (crisis management – pubic sector) and Marine and Blue economy sector.

Olumuyiwa Akande also featured as a finalist in two categories such as Spokesperson of the year category and Marine and Blue Economy sector.

Onyemekara of NPA features as a finalist in the Marine and Blue economy sector.

The finalists for the Award were announced by the adjudication committee led by Dr. Shuaibu Husseini.

The National Spokesperson Awards which is in its fifth edition, was previously known and held as the Spokespersons’ Communication Awards (SCA).

The award recognises excellence and

professionalism in public communications across Nigeria’s public and private sectors.

The NSAwards serve as a prestigious platform celebrating excellence, innovation, and professionalism in public communication across Nigeria’s public and private sectors.This year’s ceremony which doubles as the grand finale of the 2025 ‘National Spokespersons’ Summit’, will be held on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, at the Abuja Continental Hotel.

The event is a product of a strategic partnership between the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and Image Merchants Promotion Limited (IMPR), publishers of ‘PRNigeria’ and ‘Spokespersons’ Digest’.

Finalists emerged from a broad spectrum of institutions, agencies, and private sector organisations.

In the headline category of “Spokesperson of the Year,” five leading professionals will contest the top prize: ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi of the Nigeria Police Force, Igo Weli of Shell Petroleum, Olufemi Soneye of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Olumuyiwa Akande of Sifax Group, and Osagie Edward Omoruyi of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The “Outstanding Government Spokesperson (Federal)” category features Bayo Onanuga of the Presidency, Dele Oyewale of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and Josephine Adokuru Mudasiru of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA).

At the state level, “Outstanding Government Spokesperson (State)” nominees include Abdullah Abdulkadir of Edo State, Ismail Isah of Kogi State, and Ismaila Uba Misili of Gombe State.

For “Outstanding Corporate Spokesperson,” the finalists are Dr. Jossy Nkwocha of Indorama Eleme Petrochemical, Rafiat Gawat of Tropical General Investment, and Sade Morgan of Nigerian Breweries.

In the “Outstanding Spokesperson (Security Services)” category, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi is joined by DCC Abubakar Danlami of the Nigerian Correctional Service and Femi Babafemi of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

Igo Weli of Shell Petroleum, Stanley Olisa of Helpster US Inc., and Viola Graham Douglas of Lafarge will compete for the award of “Most Innovative Spokesperson (Multilateral/Multinational).”

The “Outstanding Spokesperson (Banking Sector)” category features Amaechi Okobi of Access Holdings, Hakama Sidi-Ali of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Mabel Adeteye of Wema Bank. At the same time, in the Insurance Sector, Olusakin Labeodan of Leadway Assurance and Rotimi Aleshinloye of AIICO Insurance are the two finalists.

In the field of crisis communication, “Outstanding Spokesperson (Crisis Management – Public Sector)” will see a contest between ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Manzo Ezekiel of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Osagie Edward Omoruyi of NIMASA.

For the private sector version of the same category, Chief Yomi Badejo-Okusanya of CMC Connect and Emmanuel Osedebamen of Julius Berger are the contenders.

In the Health Sector, nominees include Chief Moji Makanjuola of Ranlal Global Services, Cyril Monye of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), and Remi Adeleke of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA).

The Education Sector category includes Dr. Habib Yakoob of the University of Abuja, Dr. Fabian Benjamin of JAMB, and Lukman Temitope Omoniyi of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN).

Hadiza Umar of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Olusegun Ayeoyenikan of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), and Reuben Mouka of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will compete in the Digital Economy category.

In the growing Marine and Blue Economy sector, finalists include Ikechukwu Onyemekara of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Olumuyiwa Akande of Sifax Group, and Osagie Edward Omoruyi of NIMASA.

For “Distinguished Spokesperson (Power Sector),” Babatunde Lasaki of Eko Disco, Hajiya Nusrat Wali of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), and Ndidi Mbah of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) will battle for recognition.

Christoph Schleissing of Lagos Continental Hotel and Niyi Aderibigbe of Transcorp Hotels will vie for honours in the Hospitality Sector category, while Chinedu Ukadike of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Igo Weli of Shell Petroleum, and Olufemi Soneye of NNPCL are shortlisted under “Distinguished Spokesperson (Oil and Gas).”

In the “Most Influential Corporate Voice” category, industry giants Air Peace, Dangote, and Julius Berger are set to compete.

Team excellence is also recognised, with the “Best Corporate Spokesperson Team” category featuring the Conference of PR Professionals in Tertiary Institutions, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Nigerian Customs Service.

In leadership categories, “Most Supportive CEO to Spokespersons (Public Sector)” includes Kashifu Inuwa of NITDA, Khalil Suleiman Halilu of NASENI, and Mohammed Buba Marwa of NDLEA. Their private sector counterparts are Ayodeji Razak of Red Media Africa, Lolu Adebiyi-Akinyemi of Lafarge, and Allen Onyema of Air Peace.

Headlines

MWUN threatens to picket shipping companies, terminal operators over manipulation of pension remittances of seafarers, dockworkers

Gloria Odion

The Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria(MWUN) has accused terminal operators, shipping companies and ship owners of shortchanging dockworkers and seafarers in their employment in the remittance of their pensions to the appropriate authorities.

In a statement by the union led by Comrade Francis Bunu Abi, the erring service providers were allegedly either holding back the deductions made from the salaries of their staff into the pension funds scheme or under- remitting the deductions.

The union warned of dire consequences for such act which it regarded as unethical and illegal and threatened to shut down any service provider found culpable in this illegal act.

“The leadership of the Union recently got the wind of these employers of labour and terminal operators over their acts of irregular remittance of their employees pensions to its appropriate quarters.

“Thus shortchanging the Seafarers and the Dockworkers, both categories of workers from the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria.

“It was also learnt that some Ship Owners and Terminal Operators have allegedly stopped the remittance of Dockworkers and Seafarers’ PSA in their employ, which is a gross violation of labour laws.

” As a result, the President -General of the Union, Comrade Bunu, stated that the Union will have no other option than to descend heavily and bring to book all the earring managements of these companies working against the ethics and practices of labour rules in their various companies.

“The Delta State- born labour leader made this point known, stressing that it’s unlawful to deny workers their pensions rights either by crook or hook,; and may not hesitate to call out these Concessionaires and Shipping Companies that have defaulted in the payment of the statutory pensions of the Union Members.

“Comrade Bunu also said that these erring companies in the Maritime sector would be shut down if this ugly trend is not reversed to status quo.” the statement concluded.

Headlines

Tantita Security to bankroll 2025 OTC in USA

Gloria Odion

The foremost security provider in Nigeria, Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL) has been confirmed as the official sponsor of the 2025 Offshore Technology conference scheduled to hold in Houston Texas, United States on 5-8 May , 2025 .

Executive Director, Technical and operations , Tantita security services Limited, Captain Wareddi Enisuoh in an interview with journalists on Friday, said the company attracted the OTC conference lucrative sponsorship deal in recognition of its capacity to deliver on the conference.

Founded in 1969 , Offshore Technology conference is a series of conferences and exhibitions, focused on exchanging technical knowledge relevant to the development of offshore energy resources , primarily Oil and Natural Gas.

The conference also serves as the meeting place for the brightest minds to share ideas , discuss, debate and build consensus around the most pressing challenges and innovations in the offshore energy sector.

This year’s exhibitors , speakers and attendees represent some of the highest calibre professionals from more than 100 countries .

Customs

Customs shuns N12 trillion inflated revenue target imposed by National Assembly

— focuses on realising N6.5 trillion 2025 target

Funso OLOJO

The Nigeria Customs Service may have tactically shrugged off the imposition of the N12 trillion revenue target by the National Assembly.

It could be recalled that government gave the NCS ₦6.5 trillion revenue target for 2025.

This followed the impressive revenue performance of the service in 2024 when it surpassed that year’s target of N5.07 trillion by 20.2 percent.

However , in January, 2025, the National Assembly joint committee on Finance led by its chairmen, Senator Sani Musa and Hon. James Faleke, believed that the projection of N6.5 trillion revenue target given to the customs was conservative and encouraged the NCS to aim higher.

Consequently, the joint committee slammed a whooping sum of N12 trillion as revenue target, doubling the initial N6.5 trillion projected revenue.

This humongous target sparked off an outrage among perplexed stakeholders who felt the target imposed by the law makers was outrageous and unrealistic which they feared may stretch the capacity of the customs to a breaking point and put unnecessary pressure on the men and officers of the agency.

Indication that the Customs authority may not be well disposed to the imposed target of N12 trillion by the National Assembly emerged recently when the Comptroller -General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, was giving account of the activities of the service in the first quarter of 2025.

While giving the analysis of the revenue performance of the service during the period under review, Adeniyi benchmarked the revenue generated by the service during the first quarter of 2025 by N6.5 trillion revenue target given by the Federal Ministry of Finance, thus jettisoning the N12 trillion imposed by the National Assembly.

“ Against our annual target of ₦6,580,000,000,000.00, the first quarter’s proportional benchmark stood at ₦1,645,000,000,000.00.

“I’m proud to announce we’ve exceeded this target by ₦106.5 billion, achieving 106.47% of our quarterly projection.

” This outstanding performance represents a substantial 29.96% increase compared to the same period in 2024, where we collected

₦1,347,705,251,658.31″ Adewale stated, while giving the analysis of the performance of the service in the first three months of the year.

Analysts believed that from the analysis of the revenue performance of the NCS in the first quarter of the year which was predicated on the N6.5 trillion revenue target, it was obvious that the service was not paying much attention to the imposed N12 trillion, but rather focusing on how to meet the more realistic target of N 6 .5 trillion.

” You can see that the CGC did not make mention of the N12 trillion imposed by the National Assembly which presupposes that the unrealistic amount is not in the reckoning of the Customs” a customs broker who plies his trade at Apapa port, said, pleading for anonymity.

” Where on earth do they want the Customs to realize such an humongous amount of money in a depressed economy, in a country where importation has plummeted due to the unfriendly policies of government?

“It is unfortunate that these people (the law makers) have lost touch with the current economic realities in the country.

” All what they are after is to witch hunt government agencies to go and hunt for money for them to share.

” If not, how could they sit down in the comfort of their air conditioned offices and imposed such amount of revenue for customs to realize.

” Of course, the pressure would be on the men and officers of the service who will in turn go after the hapless importers and their agents in the most brutal way to raise the imposed target.

” It is unfortunate that the lawmakers, who are expected to make laws that will encourage export drive of the Federal government, are those asking the customs to focus more on the import goods where such money could be realized” another freight forwarder, who did not want his name in print but based at Tin Can Island port, declared.