ANLCA’s Vice President, Prince Oduntan, Bola Muse, Others Sweep Awards At PortNews 30th Anniversary
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The National Vice President of Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) Prince Segun Oduntan through his logistics company; Settle Systems Nigeria Limited has bagged an award for its contributions over the years towards the development of Nigerian ports.
The award was conferred on the company on Thursday 6th of November 2025 at the 30th Anniversary of PortNews held at Rockview Hotel, Apapa.
Settle Systems Nigeria Limited is a fully licensed shipping and freight forwarding company operating in all Nigerian sea and airports, established since 1998.
Apart from Prince Oduntan’s Settle Systems Nigeria Limited, the National Treasurer of ANLCA, Hajia Bola Muse also bagged the prestigious Port Masters Award at the event.
Hajia Muse is the Founder of Bomarah Investment Limited, as well as the popular Bomarah Foundation which has uplifted and empowered less privileged Nigerians for more than thirty years.
In the same vein, the former President of ANLCA, Prince Olayiwola Shittu bagged the Nigerian Maritime Legend Award for his numerous contributions to the maritime industry and his solid leadership footprints in the ANLCA.
He was President of ANLCA from 2010 to 2018. He is also the Chairman of Skelas Group, a freight forwarding logistics company.
Other award recipients at the event included Chairman, Integrated oil and Gas, Captain Emmanuel Iheanacho; Chairman, Sifax group, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi; Vice Chairman, ENL Consortium, Olori Princess Vicky Haastrup; Founder, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders ( NAGAFF), Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, Chairman Classic Bonded Terminal, Chief Famous Enearu and Chairman Denca Services Limited, Chief Dennis Okafor.
Others are; , Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, Flour Mills Nigeria Limited, Comet Shipping Agencies among others.
In his welcome address, Publisher of PortNews, Mr Wale Oni recounted how the newspaper was berthed 30years ago, saying that “I started it not believing that it would survive, because I had worked in the first maritime newspaper, Freight Monitor, and it packed up after ten months.
“I became jobless but not hopeless. I had this little change that my friend, Ikechukwu Jibuno discovered that could print one edition. We went to Vanguard newspapers commercial printing press and printed the very first edition of PortNews on 6th of November 1995.
“We had no money to print the next edition. But God Almighty is ever sufficient. The present Comptroller General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, was the Public Relations Officer at Tincan Customs Command.
He called me to his office, gave me some words of advice and gave me names of agents to meet. “Tell them you are from me”, he said. I did and PortNews survived. Thank you CGG Adeniyi.
“I am sure he has helped many people in that manner, and we all can see where God has taken him. That singular help created the genre of maritime journalism that has given jobs to hundreds of Nigerians today.
“I remember Alhaji Sanni Shittu of blessed memory, Prince Olayiwola Shittu, Dr Taiwo Afolabi, Dr. Wale Afolabi, Captain Emmanuel Ihenacho, Chief Benneth Anumudu, Chief Dennis Okafor, Chief Mike Nwaukoni, Prince Aderemi Olinkuntuyi, Hajia Bola Muse, Elder Athanasius Egwim, Chief Peter Obih, Pastor Babatunde Shittu, Prince Segun Oduntan, Chief Steve Amadi, Chief Olumuyiwa Adepitan and Dr Boniface Anienonam who bought me my first car and many other people time will not permit me to mention their names.
“Nigeria’s maritime industry has a unique trait, a characteristic peculiar only to her. It has never witnessed or been grounded by Nigeria’s many recorded economic crises.
“On the contrary, it is this sector that is the buffer, the saving grace that always bails Nigeria out . Check through industry records. At what time, in what year did the Nigeria Customs Service, Nigerian Ports Authority and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency not meet set revenue targets?” he asked rhetorically.
