The Congress of Nigerian Maritime Media Practitioners (CONMMEP) has appointed the President-General of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club, Dr Rafiu Olalere Ladipo, as its Patron, drawing on his decades of experience in Nigeria’s maritime and customs-clearing industry.

CONMMEP also presented Ladipo with a Lifetime Excellence Award at a ceremony in Lagos, recognising his leadership and contribution to the maritime sector.

The appointment gives Ladipo a new role within the maritime media community, decades after he held leadership positions representing licensed customs agents.

From customs clearing to football diplomacy

Ladipo traced his involvement in the maritime industry to 1967, when he began working in the clearing section of CFAO under Transcom.

He later established his own company in 1976 and became the pioneer president of the Association of Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) in 1986.

A decade later, in 1996, he became the first national president of the Association of Managing Directors of Licensed Customs Agents in Nigeria (AMDLCA).

Ladipo said the maritime industry formed the foundation of his professional career and provided the platform from which he developed the Nigeria Football Supporters Club into an organisation with an international presence.

“The maritime industry was the foundation of my career and provided the platform that enabled me to build the Nigeria Football Supporters Club into a global brand.”

His account places his new CONMMEP role against a career that has moved between customs clearing, industry leadership, sports administration and international networking.

CONMMEP seeks to leverage his network

Presenting the award, CONMMEP President Udo Onyeka described Ladipo as a “national asset” whose institutional experience could contribute to the organisation’s development.

Onyeka said Ladipo’s knowledge, influence and international contacts could help CONMMEP strengthen its position and build new partnerships.

He described the honour as both a recognition of Ladipo’s past contributions and a call for continued service.

For CONMMEP, the appointment therefore goes beyond an honorary position, with the organisation expecting Ladipo to contribute his experience and connections to its activities.

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Ladipo promises support for maritime media

In his acceptance remarks, Ladipo pledged to use his experience, contacts and resources to support CONMMEP.

He said he would bring the organisational experience gained from building the Football Supporters Club to his new responsibility.

Ladipo also recalled making personal visits to several countries as part of efforts to expand the supporters’ club beyond Nigeria.

According to him, the organisation grew from its early activities at the National Stadium in Lagos into an international network with chapters in different parts of the world.

He attributed part of the organisation’s recognition to its distinctive contribution to Nigerian football culture through activities including face painting, drumming, singing and dancing.

He said the development eventually earned the supporters’ club recognition from FIFA.

A new role after decades in the sector

Ladipo described the CONMMEP appointment as one of the most cherished honours of his career despite receiving numerous awards internationally.

His appointment comes at a time when maritime media organisations are seeking stronger engagement with industry stakeholders and greater visibility for developments across Nigeria’s ports, customs, shipping and logistics sectors.

CONMMEP said it expects Ladipo’s experience and international network to support its growth and help attract partnerships.

For Ladipo, the new role marks a return to an industry he credits with providing the foundation for his long career in public-facing leadership.

What this means

Ladipo’s appointment connects two areas of his career that are rarely discussed together: his early leadership in Nigeria’s customs-clearing industry and his later development of the Nigeria Football Supporters Club into an internationally recognised organisation.

CONMMEP’s decision suggests it hopes to draw on that combination of maritime knowledge, organisational experience and international relationships as it expands its activities.

The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) is moving to digitise the Nigerian Ship Registry, with a new platform designed to give shipowners round-the-clock access to registration services while improving visibility over vessel mortgages and related transactions.

The agency said the system is expected to reduce delays associated with paper-based registration and provide faster electronic certification as Nigeria seeks to make its flag-state services more efficient and competitive.

NIMASA will demonstrate the platform during two stakeholder webinars scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, and Thursday, October 8, 2026.

Why the digital registry matters

Beyond speeding up registration, the proposed system could have implications for ship financing.

NIMASA said the platform will allow secure, real-time tracking of ship mortgages and other registry transactions, giving financial institutions and other parties involved in vessel financing greater visibility over transactions.

The agency said the feature is intended to strengthen transparency around the registration and financing of vessels under the Nigerian flag.

For shipowners and operators, the system is also designed to provide 24-hour access to registration services, streamline applications and approvals, and enable the faster issuance of electronic certificates.

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NIMASA targets a more accessible Nigerian flag

The automation is part of NIMASA’s wider effort to modernise the Nigerian Ship Registry and improve the services available to local and international shipowners.

NIMASA Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Dayo Mobereola, said the initiative was aimed at making the Nigerian flag more accessible while aligning its processes with international standards.

Mobereola said the automation represented a significant step towards providing more efficient and transparent services to shipowners and other maritime stakeholders.

Platform undergoing user testing

The digital registry has not yet moved to full deployment.

NIMASA said it is currently undergoing user testing to assess the platform’s functionality, security and user experience before its official rollout.

The testing phase also provides an opportunity to identify areas that may need improvement before the system becomes fully operational.

Stakeholders will be able to see key features of the platform during the webinars and provide feedback to the agency.

Who can participate?

NIMASA is inviting shipowners, ship managers, maritime professionals, financial institutions, insurers, legal practitioners, classification societies and other interested stakeholders to participate.

The webinars are scheduled for:

– Tuesday, October 6, 2026

– Thursday, October 8, 2026

NIMASA said details of the webinar access link and programme will be released through its official communication channels.

What to watch next

The key issue after the demonstrations will be how quickly the automated registry moves from testing to full implementation and whether users experience measurable improvements in registration turnaround times.

The system’s performance could also be significant for financial institutions and other maritime stakeholders relying on accurate and accessible registry information for vessel-related transactions.

For now, NIMASA says the objective is to build a Nigerian Ship Registry that is faster, more transparent and easier to access through digital services.

The next Face Of Maritime International (FOMI) winner will be expected to take on a year-long ocean conservation and women-in-blue-economy advocacy programme as the maritime beauty pageant enters its 11th season.

The organisers of FOMI, the Girls Go-To-Sea Campaign Initiative, said the 2026 edition will focus on turning the platform into a vehicle for environmental awareness, ocean literacy and greater participation of young women in maritime-related careers.

The organisers have named the edition “The Blue Queen — Beauty With A Purpose”, with the tagline “From Crown To Coastline — Beauty That Saves Our Seas.”

Rather than limiting the winner’s role to ceremonial representation, the organisers said the 2026 queen will be required to implement a 12-month advocacy mandate covering schools, coastal communities, ocean clean-ups and women’s participation in the blue economy.

From pageant to advocacy platform

According to the organisers, the winner will take maritime and environmental advocacy into 20 public schools across Lagos, Rivers, Cross River and Delta states as part of a proposed Blue Schools Outreach programme.

The initiative is expected to promote ocean literacy among pupils in communities where livelihoods and daily life are closely connected to coastal and marine resources.

The winner will also lead quarterly coastline clean-up activities, with the organisers seeking collaboration with agencies including the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) and Lagos State Waste Management Authority (LAWMA).

“Beyond beauty, FOMI Season 11 will crown a Queen who is not just beautiful but purposeful — an Ocean Advocate.”

— Sylva Obasi, Executive Director, FOMI Season 11 Organising Committee

100 young women targeted for blue economy mentorship

Another component of the proposed mandate is a Women In Blue Economy Mentorship programme designed to train and mentor 100 young women interested in fisheries, aquaculture and maritime careers.

The organisers said the programme is intended to expose participants to opportunities beyond traditional perceptions of maritime work and encourage more young women to consider careers across the wider blue economy.

The queen will also spearhead the #CleanOceansNG advocacy campaign through media engagements, Maritime Platform Radio on Star Plus FM 101.5, Platforms Online and social media.

Why the initiative matters

Nigeria’s maritime sector stretches beyond ports and shipping, encompassing fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, inland waterways and other activities linked to marine and aquatic resources.

For FOMI, the proposed advocacy programme provides an opportunity to connect a youth-focused platform with some of the environmental and workforce challenges facing the sector.

The organisers, however, will need the support of relevant public institutions, private companies and civil society organisations to turn the proposed projects into sustained programmes beyond the pageant.

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Who can enter FOMI Season 11?

FOMI Season 11 is open to Nigerian women aged 16 to 26 with a minimum of Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) qualification.

Applicants are expected to demonstrate an interest in maritime affairs, environmental issues, beauty and community service.

The organisers said the selection process will move through several stages, including entry, screening and unveiling, preliminary tasks, camping and training, a Blue Economy Advocacy Tour, the grand finale and coronation in Lagos.

The winner is then expected to begin the proposed pet-project activities in 2027.

Organisers seek partnerships

The Girls Go-To-Sea Campaign Initiative said it is seeking strategic endorsements and partnerships from institutions and organisations including the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, NIMASA, NPA, NIWA, SIFAX Group, NLNG, NMLA, WISTA Nigeria, UN Women, UNEP and the Lagos State Ministry of Environment.

The initiative is promoted by Platform Reporters, publishers of Platforms Online and producers of Maritime Platform Radio on Star Plus FM 101.5.

FOMI was established in 2016 and, according to its organisers, has spent the past decade using the pageant to promote maritime awareness, seafarers’ welfare, port development and coastal community development.

Season 11 therefore arrives with a broader environmental brief: to use the visibility of a national beauty platform to engage young people on the future of Nigeria’s oceans and blue economy.

Interested participants, sponsors and partners can contact the FOMI Season 11 Organising Committee via +234 814 628 9698, fomi.platforms.ng, faceofmaritime@gmail.com or girlsgotosea@gmail.com.