Stakeholders gear up for MARAN’s 25th anniversary

There are indications that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and other dignitaries who at one time or the other contributed to the growth of the Nigerian maritime sector will fully participate in the forthcoming silver jubilee celebration of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN).

Obasanjo is expected to chair the grand finale of the event slated for tomorrow, December 12, 2013 at Sheraton Hotels, Ikeja. Idris Umar, the minister of transport, will be the special guest, while Patrick Ziakede Akpobolokemi, director general, Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), will deliver the anniversary lecture.

Bolaji Akinola, president of the association, said the event is targeted at drawing the attention of the Federal Government on the need to further exploit and harness the potentials in the maritime sector, especially as it is coming at a time when the demand for Nigerian oil is dropping due to a possible shift of some oil purchasing nations from use of oil to alternatives like solar energy.

According to the MARAN president, programmes preceding the celebration include visitation to motherless babies’ homes, novelty football match, and thanksgiving service to be held both in church and in mosque.

“At 25, the association ought not to have its secretariat in a rented apartment but should have risen to a status of a landlord. Therefore, we expect that after our 25th anniversary we would be able to commence erecting a permanent secretariat for MARAN,” he said.