The umbrella body of the maritime media, the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) hosts its past presidents to an appreciation reception amidst pomp and pageantry
Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) hosted its past presidents on Thursday, April 23, 2026 in Lagos. It was a night of glitz, bliss and glamour during the appreciation reception at the Rockview Hotel, Apapa Lagos.
It was a night when MARAN showcased its 13 past leaders who had toiled and sweated to build the association into a formidable group of maritime journalists who have over the years shaped government policies and programmes in the maritime industry.
It started like a mustard seed sown by the present Caretaker committee of the association led by Tunde Ayodele when it mooted the idea at the Association’ s Congress meeting in January, 2026.
According to Ayodele, his caretaker committee was inspired to organize a befitting reception for the past presidents, given their sacrifices, passion, patriotism and sheer resilience they had displayed to berth a MARAN that was the progenitor of all other journalists association in the maritime industry.
“When my team and I assumed responsibility as the caretaker committee, one of our foremost priorities was to reconnect with our roots by honouring these great men.
“This event was not just a celebration; it was a reminder that their labour was not in vain.
“Nearly four decades later, MARAN remains strong, relevant, and growing.
“We recognise that the wisdom, experience, and guidance of our past leaders are invaluable” Ayodele said, giving an insight into what motivated its committee to organize the reception.
Ayodele said a five- man Organising Committee led by Funso Olojo, the Chairman of Board of Trustees (BOT) of MARAN, ensured that the vision became a reality.
So, the Organising committee, which also consisted of John Iwori, Enyeribe Anyanwu, Ruth Umunna, and Sandra Chkwunyere, set to work, toiling day and night to organize the most befitting reception for the past leaders of the association.
On the said date, the living past presidents of MARAN, for the first time in the 38 years of the establishment of the association, gathered together under the same roof where they were unveiled to the stakeholders in the industry.
It was a night of glowing tributes, good will messages and effusive show of love to the men and woman of valor who built and nurtured MARAN to stardom.
The roll call was intimidating and inspiring, it included, Rev. Alban Opara, the Minister of God in His vineyard and the pioneer President of MARAN, Elder ASU Beks, an enigmatic media mogul who is the CEO of Maritime Media Limited, the publisher of the influential Shipping World and the one commonly called the God Father, Barrister Tino Buoro, a legal luminary and expert in Arbitration law, Ubon Akpan, now late but a colossus in the media world, Emmanuel Adegbe, now late who was also a force to be reckoned with in journalism and Pius Mordi, the Media Aide to the Governor of Delta. state.
Others were Ray Ugochukwu, now late, the two – terms President of MARAN, the first ever person to achieve such a rare feat. He was also an erudite journalist.
Sesan Onilemo, another brilliant and consummate journalist who is the CEO of First Mediacon Media Limited, the publisher of the influencial Shipping position Newspaper and producer of Shipping position on radio, Dele Aderibigbe, another fearless journalist who is the pioneer and current Chairman of the Nigeria National Maritime Journalists(NNMJ), the confederation of six maritime journalists associations in the maritime industry, Adeleye Ajayi, a retired Director at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the current two- term Chairman of Lagos council of the Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ), Dr Bolaji Akinola, the Special Adviser to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Ifeyinwa Obi, now late who was a humanist, passionate and committed welfarist who was a crack journalist.
The last but not the least on the roll call of MARAN past presidents celebrated on that night of glitz was Anya Njoku, a fiery and fearless journalist.
However, the deceased past presidents were represented by their dear wives and family friends and members.
While Mrs Nneka Rosemary Ugochukwu stood for her late husband, Ray Ugochukwu, Mrs Paulina Adegbe and her two adorable daughters stood in for her late husband, Emmanuel Adegbe.
Mr Frank Meke, a seasoned journalist, represented the family of late Ubong Akpan as the wife of the deceased was away on a family engagement.
By and large, it was a night to remember as MARAN, in an unprecedented way, honoured the labour of its heroes past to ensure that they did not labour in vain.
The event attracted a large assemblage of stakeholders, consisting maritime agencies, terminal operators, freight forwarders, technocrats, academia and well-wishers of MARAN and the Awardees.
In their reactions to the unexpected appreciation night, some of the Awardees expressed their heartfelt gratitude to MARAN, the organisers of the event.
During the celebration, a former Minister of Interior and Managing Director of Integrated Oil and Gas Limited, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho urged maritime journalists in Nigeria to invest deeply in knowledge so as to enable them to understand shipping economics, study regulation, learn the language of trade, interrogate data, verify facts and protect credibility.
Iheanacho who was represented at the event by the Principal Partner of Akabogu & Associates, Dr. Emeka Akabogu SAN, argued that where the media is responsible, informed, and courageous, industries progress faster adding that where reporting is careless, shallow, or easily swayed, progress becomes harder.
