Taiwo Afolabi Maritime Conference to focus on developing port infrastructure

Worried by high level of infrastructural decay around the nation’s port environment, the organisers of this year’s edition of Taiwo Afolabi Annual Maritime Conference said that this year’s gathering would provide industry stakeholders the opportunity to brainstorm on using public-private partnership to develop critical port infrastructure.

The second edition of the annual conference slated to hold on Friday, August 4, 2017 at the University of Lagos, would be attended by eminent maritime industry leaders, legal experts, academics, and university students drawn from about eight institutions.

“These guests will converge to discuss on the theme: “Nigerian Port Reforms”, while the keynote address will be “Developing Critical Port Infrastructure through Public-Private Partnership.”

A statement signed by Muyiwa Akande, Corporate Affairs Manager of SIFAX said the conference would be the held in honour of Taiwo Afolabi, the Group executive vice-chairman of SIFAX.

The conference, which is an initiative of the Maritime Forum, University of Lagos and SIFAX Group, would have speakers and discussants that include Vicky Haastrup, executive vice chairman of ENL Consortium; Funke Agbor (SAN), senior partner, Adepetun, Caxton-Martins, Agbor & Segun law firm and a past President of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) Nigeria.

Others include Henry Ajetunmobi, executive director, SIFAX Group; Bola Asiru,  director,  Delloitte West Africa and  Inam Wilson, partner, Templars Law while Margaret Orakwusi, former President, Nigerian Trawler Owners Association (NITOA), would chair the event.

Speaking on the event, Taiwo Afolabi, said the need to deepen discourse around topical issues in the nation’s maritime industry, as well as proffering practical solutions to them, prompted the organisation of the conference.

“The second edition of the conference would dwell on the infrastructural deficit in the industry. This is necessary in view of the challenges that port users, agencies, investors, agents, workers among others, encounter in accessing and transacting their port activities. The situation of the infrastructure has negative economic impact for all stakeholders, including the government,” he said.

“Experts have been invited as speakers to draw roadmap that will lead to concrete and sustainable solutions to the problem.”

Ilemobade Olateru-Olagbegi, president, Maritime Forum said the conference would be beneficial to both the industry and the students because it would create an avenue to stimulate intellectual discussions between maritime experts and the university community.

Uzoamaka Anagor-Ewuzie