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Robert Okosun’s Speech to fellow musicians and Artistes in Diaspora
To my fellow artistes, my name is Robert Okosun and I will like to thank God for such a great privilege and opportunity for us being alive and you taking time from your busy schedule to the present with us here at the RANCH. There is this saying from one of the favorite authors, the late Chief Chinua Achebe in one of his great books tilted “things fall apart” and I quote that when families do come together for a purpose, there is this possibility that something is amiss or something is about to happen. It is not a coincidence that we all gathered here, it is been preordained by GOD that we as a family of artistes and musicians will come together under one umbrella. We all gathered here for the main fact that the entertainment industry both here in USA and in Nigeria is not performing and functioning the way it used to be, and I had to speak out due to the plight, struggle and situations that faces our less privilege musicians and artiste that lives across the pond. There situations reminds me of Fela’s song titled “suffering and smiling”. I do personally that God for those of us that are fortunate to live in the US. My brief discussion with some musicians both here and abroad is the subject matter that inspired and motivated me to propose for this meeting. As some of you might have known, I grew up in an entertainment family as far back in the early 70’s with my late brother evangelists Sonny Okosuns.
We grew up in an industry where there was respect, dignity and host of talented musicians, and also a true love for the art. Some of us still do remember the good old days when recording companies like EMI DECCA POLYGRAM and a few local labels like PHONODISCTYC and TABANSI where owned and operating effectively and responsibly in Nigeria. We had record pressing companies where men like Prince Adeniyi of poatson printing company that does all the record sleeve. Distributions of albums and singles were were well taking care of well across Nigeria and her frontier, and all the mechanism that goes with the industry was at work then. When artiste names like King Sunny Ade, Chief Ebenezer Obey, late Fela Anikulapo Kuti, Late Evg Sonny Okosuns, Late Chief Osita Osadebey, Ms. Dora Ifudu, and Ms Onyeka Onwenu were mentioned, you immediately knew the labels and companies they represent.
In the promotional circle we had men like Chief Chris Okolie who later became the new breed publisher, Mr Vincong and late Mr Black power promotions. Those were the Era when Men like Tony Ibegbuna , J.A.J and Benson Idonije were playing our records on the new FM radio stations across the country, those were the good old days\. I was so fortunate to learn and work with some of the best in the entertainment industry like late Henry Mosco of “country boy fame”. Onyeka Onwenu of “endless life fame”. Yvonne Maha of “child for sale fame”. Charlie Aka of “poor Charlie Aka fame” and I briefly managed Uche Ibeto, but most importantly I worked with my late brother the legendary Evg Sonny Okosun’s with some of his albums both here and abroad.
I say all this is not as a badge of honor or being pride full about it, but to but mindful I have all the credentials to speak on issues concerning the Nigeria music industry. As of this moment it is not about you and I but about the industry and its legacy. PMAN that was formed in the early 80’s to cater to the plight and needs of Nigeria artiste has gone into factions and not catering to the yearn of musicians and artist. Some months ago I decided to take a trip to Nigerian with my family on a fact finding working vacation to Lagos. It was then I met the new PMAN president Mr. Pretty Okafor for the first time who happens to be a straight shooter and a man of high quality and integrity. And from our long discussions I came to the realization that this gentleman knows a lot about the music industry, and as I walked away from his office I knew that PMAN coming together under one umbrella is bound to succeed.
I personally pray that from all I see and observe, hopefully everything in place the Nigerian musician will be proud of their profession, and that is my personal opinion. In as much as our music sounds great with good beats and meaningful lyrics, unfortunately here in America there has not been adequate airplay on tv and radio stations, but most especially a lack of distribution network has hindered the sales and impact of our music.
The task of building and sustaining our music industry here and abroad is not the duty of government agencies alone but required the active participation of every one of us. I mean a spirit of oneness. My fellow artiste and musician this is not the time to follow who is right or wrong but do the right thing. It is true that a picture can say a million words, but it is also a fact that the same picture can capture the essence of a person, so what does our picture say about us? So ladies and gentlemen let’s busy and the good LORD gives us the strength to overcome as we walk in unity and love towards HIS divine connection.
The project ends decades search for investors, boosts Nigeria’s blue economy
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
Nigeria’s maritime sector is set for a major transformation following a landmark agreement involving the world’s largest container shipping company, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), which has secured a 45-year concession to build, manage and operate a modern container terminal at Snake Island Port in Lagos.
The project, to be developed in partnership with Nigerdock, marks one of the most significant private sector investments in Nigeria’s port infrastructure in recent decades and is expected to strengthen the country’s role as a major maritime gateway in West and Central Africa.
For Nigeria, the agreement brings to close decades of efforts to attract large-scale investors to develop Snake Island Port, a strategically located maritime asset in Lagos.
Long-standing concession history
Snake Island’s maritime facilities date back several decades. In 1992, the Federal Government granted a 99-year concession for the island’s port and industrial facilities to Nigerdock, a major maritime engineering and logistics company.
Nigerdock was later privatised and is currently operated by the Jagal Group owned by Nigerian industrialist Maher Jarmakani.
Over the years, the Island Container Terminal fell into disrepair, requiring major rehabilitation and modernization to meet modern global shipping standards.
The new partnership with MSC is expected to transform the port into a state-of-the-art container handling facility capable of attracting larger vessels and increasing Nigeria’s cargo throughput capacity.
Buhari administration approved the project.
The investment framework for the Snake Island development was approved in May 2023 by the Federal Executive Council under then President Muhammadu Buhari.
The approval authorised total private investment of approximately $974.1 million for the project under a Public-Private Partnership structure, including the 45-year concession period.
At the same time, the Federal Government also approved two other major maritime infrastructure projects:
• Development of the Ondo Multipurpose Port in Ilaje, Ondo State, with $1.48 billion in private investment and a 50-year concession.
• Expansion and development of the Burutu Sea Port in Delta State, involving $1.2 billion in private investment and a 40-year concession.
These projects form part of Nigeria’s broader effort to develop its blue economy and expand maritime trade capacity.
Construction partners
Engineering and construction of the Snake Island container terminal will be handled by:
• ITB Nigeria Limited
• DEME Group
ITB Nigeria Limited is part of the Chagoury Group and owned by the Chagoury family, while DEME Group is a globally recognised Belgian marine engineering and dredging company with extensive experience in port construction.
MSC profile
Founded in 1970 by Italian shipping entrepreneur Gianluigi Aponte and his wife Rafaela Aponte-Diamant, MSC has grown from a single cargo vessel into the largest container shipping company in the world.
Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the company operates in more than 155 countries and serves over 500 ports worldwide, with a fleet of roughly 900 container ships and over 200,000 employees globally.
The MSC Group also operates major logistics and maritime businesses including inland logistics through Medlog, cruise tourism through MSC Cruises, and port terminal operations across several continents.
According to Forbes, the estimated net worth of MSC founder Gianluigi Aponte is about $43.9 billion as of February 2026, placing him among the world’s richest shipping magnates. The company remains privately owned by the Aponte family, with both founders holding equal ownership stakes.
Management comments
Speaking on the development, MSC Group President Diego Aponte said the company is committed to strengthening its operations in Nigeria and across Africa.
“We are proud to expand our presence in Nigeria through this important infrastructure project. The Snake Island terminal will enhance service delivery and improve port efficiency for our customers and partners in the region,”
Chief Executive Officer of Nigerdock, Maher Jarmakani, described the agreement as a major milestone for the Nigerian maritime sector.
“We are delighted to partner with MSC in developing a world-class container terminal that will enhance Nigeria’s logistics capabilities and support economic growth,” he said.
Economic impact
Industry analysts say the project could significantly strengthen Nigeria’s maritime economy by expanding cargo handling capacity, reducing congestion at Lagos ports and attracting additional international shipping traffic.
The development is also expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs across maritime operations, logistics, transport services and port-related commercial activities.
Infrastructure expansion
Beyond the port development, plans are also underway for Nigeria’s first underwater tunnel, linking Ahmadu Bello Way in Victoria Island through Snake Island and connecting the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway with the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway corridor through Badagry.
The tunnel project is expected to significantly improve freight movement and road connectivity between Lagos ports and national transport networks.
Strategic milestone
With the entry of MSC into the Snake Island development, industry observers say Nigeria is taking a significant step toward modernizing its maritime infrastructure and positioning itself as a regional hub for global shipping and trade.
For a project that has waited for decades for major international investors, the Snake Island concession represents a turning point in Nigeria’s port development strategy and a strong signal of global confidence in the country’s maritime future.
By Prince Adeyemi Shonibare
news
From Construction Sites to Community Service: Temitope Akinyemi Emerges as a Model of Leadership and Impact
Energy experts in Nigeria’s downstream petroleum sector have defended the pricing structure of the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, accusing some fuel markers of attempting to blackmail the refinery and mislead the public over the recent increase in petrol prices.
The experts said reports suggesting that the refinery’s latest adjustment is solely responsible for the recent hike in fuel prices were misleading, noting that importers are also bringing in petrol at almost a N1,000 per litre, while the refinery’s coastal price is N948 and the gantry or ex-depot price stands at N995 per litre.
They stressed that public comparisons fail to consider the differences in pricing structures and supply channels.
According to the experts, N948 per litre represents the coastal delivery price, which refers to petroleum products transported by marine vessels or barges from the refinery to depots along the coastline. On the other hand, N995 per litre represents the gantry or ex-depot price, which is the rate paid by marketers who load petrol directly from the refinery into tanker trucks at the loading gantry for onward distribution across the country.
The experts explained that the two figures should not be interpreted as conflicting prices but rather as different logistics arrangements within the petroleum distribution chain.
Speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, energy expert David Okon said the pricing adjustments were inevitable given prevailing market conditions.
According to him, Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals operates in a deregulated market and procures crude at international prices, which have risen sharply due to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
“The refinery is already absorbing part of the cost to cushion the impact of the crisis on Nigerians. We can see what is happening in other parts of the world where shortages and scarcity are being reported despite higher prices, yet the Dangote Refinery has continued to guarantee domestic supply,” he said.
Okon explained that when the refinery previously sold petrol at N774 per litre, crude oil was landing at about $68 per barrel. However, with crude now arriving at roughly $95 per barrel, the cost difference of about $27 per barrel translates to nearly N40,000 per barrel when converted to Naira.
“You cannot expect a refinery to continue selling at the old rate under those circumstances,” he added.
“If imported products were truly cheaper, importers would still be selling at the previous prices.”
He warned that without local refining capacity, Nigeria could have faced severe fuel shortages, long queues at filling stations and a resurgence of black market sales.
“Without the Dangote Refinery, many filling stations would likely shut down, queues would return across the country and black market traders would exploit the situation, hawking four litres keg at N20,000 or more. The refinery has effectively prevented that scenario,” he said.
Another analyst, Mohammed Ibrahim, also faulted narratives circulating in some quarters suggesting that the refinery’s pricing adjustment was responsible for worsening economic hardship in the country.
Accusing some importers of attempting to manipulate public perception, he said, “What we are seeing is nothing but deliberate blackmail by some fuel importers who feel threatened by local refining.
“They are twisting the pricing structure to mislead Nigerians and create unnecessary panic in the market.
“By exaggerating the refinery’s gantry price and ignoring the comparable costs of imported fuel, they are trying to make it appear as though Dangote Refinery is the cause of rising prices and economic hardship. This is a calculated attempt to protect their import businesses and undermine local refining, which is meant to reduce our dependence on imported petrol.”
Ibrahim added that such narratives were aimed at portraying the refinery as the reason Nigerians were struggling with higher petrol prices.
He stressed that petrol pricing in Nigeria is largely influenced by global crude oil prices, exchange rate fluctuations, and distribution logistics, noting that these factors affect both locally refined and imported fuel in the country’s deregulated market.
Afolabi Olowookere, Managing Director and Chief Economist at Analysts’ Data Services and Resources (ADSR) Limited, explained that although Nigerians expect refined products from the refinery to be significantly cheaper, prevailing market realities such as global crude oil prices, the cost of crude supply and refining margins make substantial price reductions unlikely in the short term.
“Therefore, improving domestic crude allocation to the refinery would strengthen supply stability and enhance the long term benefits of local refining for the economy,” Olowookere noted.
Recent conflicts in the Middle East and disruptions along key shipping lanes have tightened global oil supply, pushing crude prices past $90 per barrel, a development that directly raises the cost of both imported and locally refined petrol in Nigeria.
The unrest has pushed up fuel costs and transportation in several countries, including Ghana, the United States, the United Kingdom, South Africa, India, Canada, Brazil, Germany, France, and Japan, as rising crude prices increase the cost of refining, distribution, and logistics globally.
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