@60, Prince Segun Oduntan Stands Tall as a Pillar of Nigeria’s Maritime Trade
By DAPO OLAWUNI
There is a certain quality that separates mere officeholders from true institution builders, the rare capacity to make every environment better simply by showing up.
At 60, Prince Olusegun Oduntan, the National Vice President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), embodies that quality in full measure. And on the occasion of his 60th birthday, the Nigerian maritime, freight forwarding and logistics community is pausing, rightfully to honour one of its most consequential voices.
Born six decades ago in Ogui, Enugu State, to the royal family of Olabinjo Oduntan of Itunmoja quarter in Ikorodu Kingdom, Lagos State, Prince Oduntan carries in his bloodline both the responsibilities of royalty and the instincts of a self-made professional.
He would go on to study Mass Communication at the University of Nsukka, a discipline that would prove prescient, shaping in him an early appreciation for communication, advocacy, and the power of organised voice. From the lecture halls of Nsukka, he would travel a long road to the upper echelons of Nigeria’s customs brokerage profession, a journey defined at every turn by discipline, conviction, and uncommon service.
His company, Settle Systems Nigeria Limited, established in 1998, stands today as a testament to that journey. With offices in Apapa, Ikeja, Port Harcourt, Abuja and other sister companies across Nigeria, Prince Oduntan has made indelible contributions to the maritime and logistics sectors.
What began as an entrepreneurial bet on a young industry has grown into a multi-city operation that mirrors the man himself, expansive, reliable, and deeply rooted.
Yet Prince Oduntan has never been content to build only for himself. His name is perhaps better known in the corridors of ANLCA, where he has served as Chairman of the Tin Can Island Chapter of the association before rising to become the National Vice President under National President Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji.
For Prince Oduntan and Nwokeoji, it was a partnership that has steadied the association through one of the most turbulent and consequential periods in its history.
As the number two man in the association, he has been more than an administrator; he has been a conscience.
Driven by a commitment to professional integrity, Prince Oduntan has championed the movement to restore dignity to the freight forwarding profession in Nigeria.
That crusade has taken many forms, from boardroom advocacy to public statements, from stakeholder engagements to policy lobbying before the National Assembly. As recently as early 2025, he was outspoken in his push for the timely passage of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council amendment bill, otherwise known as the Nigeria Shipping and Ports Economic Regulatory Agency Bill, arguing that only a robust legal instrument could give the agency the authority needed to enforce compliance among shipping and terminal operators, and ultimately protect the interests of freight forwarders and the Nigerian economy at large.
The industry has noticed his accomplishments, no wonder in April 2025, at a glittering ceremony at the Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos, the Maritime Industry Merit Award (MIMA) organised by Maritime Media Limited, publishers of Shipping World Magazine, honoured Prince Oduntan as the Most Outstanding Customs Broker of the Year 2024.
The occasion drew the crème-de-la-crème of the freight forwarding sector, including former ANLCA National President Prince Olayiwola Shittu and incumbent National President Emenike Kingsley Nwokeoji. Chapter chairmen flew in from Lagos, Port Harcourt and Onne. Royal fathers came.
The breadth of that show of solidarity spoke volumes about the esteem in which the celebrant is held.
That esteem extends well beyond the industry. In November 2024, His Royal Majesty Oba (Barr.) Semiudeen Orimadegun Kasali, the Adeboruwa of Igbogbo Kingdom in Ikorodu, bestowed on Prince Oduntan the Royal Prestigious Award of Excellence during the kingdom’s annual celebration, an event that recognises notable sons and daughters who have demonstrated excellence and integrity in their chosen careers.
Prince Oduntan was personally nominated by the Oba in recognition of his unwavering commitment to promoting the culture and heritage of the kingdom and Ikorodu land at large.
The awards and recognitions are many, but those who know Prince Oduntan best will say the plaques are merely the outward reflection of an inner life long devoted to service.
He is equally known in the philanthropic and humanitarian arena, giving regularly to the less privileged, a commitment to service further demonstrated by his involvement in various organisations, including the Lagos Country Club.
He is, in the truest sense, a Fellow of the Nigerian Institute of Shipping who has not forgotten the human dimension of the industry he serves.
National President of ANLCA, Emenike Nwokeoji in a birthday tribute has described Prince Oduntan as “an exceptional co-traveller, a dependable ally, and a true captain of industry”
The entire association is also expressing profound appreciation for Prince Oduntan’s service and wishes him continued good health, greater accomplishments, and many more years of impactful leadership.
It is a sentiment that resonates far beyond ANLCA’s secretariat. Across the docks of Apapa and Tin Can Island, in the offices of freight forwarders and customs practitioners from Lagos to Port Harcourt, in the palaces of Ikorodu and the lecture rooms of professional training sessions, the name Prince Olusegun Oduntan carries weight. At 60, that weight is not the burden of years, it is the gravity of a life lived with purpose.
