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STAR BOY OZZYBEE CONFERRED AMBASSADOR BY DR JOE OKEI ODUMAKIN
By Gloria Okezie-Okafor
It was indeed a remarkable courtesy visit to the plush office of one of Nigeria’s foremost female activist recently in Lagos when Africa’s formidable star boy OzzyBee and his crew stormed the secretariat of Women Arise for Change Initiative in what was termed a twin visit
Led by his mum, OzzyBosco — as he is also called — alongside his managerial team, had come to present a formal request to Dr. Joe Odumakin to be one of the guests of honour at the forthcoming Africa Youth Leadership and Empowerment Summit (AYLES) slated to hold May 3rd, and to be followed by a gala night on the 4th, both at the prestigious Eko Hotel and Suites.
The event which is powered by the Orator, Project Africa and Ozzybosco Smile Foundation, proposes to confer a prestigious award of ‘Outstanding Pan Africanist’ to Nigeria’s most renowned human rights activist and CEO of the Women Arise for Change Initiative.
In an introductory letter OzzyBee who read eloquently the speech himself, had started out by acknowledging Dr. Joe Odumakin’s impact not only on the larger scale of human rights activism, but on something as personal as commenting consistently on his social media posts.
Parts of his speech read: ”It’s an honest privilege visiting you today, my sweet mummy. My little story started at the tender age of six when aunty Veronica honored me by gracing my picture on the front cover of her award winning magazine, La Veronica. Since then, the relationship has blossomed and opened doors which led
me to the most outstanding female activist of our time, Dr Joe Odumakin. whom l proudly call my “MUMSY”.
I am deeply overwhelmed that whenever I post on my social media page, she’ll always find time to make encouraging comments which keeps me going. There werè instances when she commented twice on a single post, despite her busy schedle. How can a young artiste like me appreciate you for this display of love Mum?
However, I’m here to humbly request your presence on two events which would not be complete without your motherly presence…
In her speech, OzzyBee’s Mum Chief Elizabeth Mojekwu narrated Ozzy’s deep concern for the under privileged Children and those who suffer all kinds of cruelty. She emphasized on the case of a 4 year old Usman Sadiq who had both eyes plucked out by suspected ritualistics in Zaria, Kaduna State. OzzyBee insisted on visiting the kid when he read the news, not minding the distance. Ozzy’s visit and performances moved the young boy to smile for the first time according to his father. She stated that OzzyBee’s humanitarian works are carried out under his pet project “Stop Child Cruelty” powered by “Ozzybosco Smile Foundation” which is a non governmental organisation.
Speaking further, Elizabeth Mojekwu who eulogized the simplicity and loving nature of the human rights campaigner with more than 800 meritorious awards to her name added, ”I’m highly impressed at your simplicity ma’am despite your exalted position in the society, may God’s continuous blessings be upon you and your family as you shower love to humanity.. Speaking on parents concern she said; OzzyBee is very obedient and humble notwithstanding his workload/successes in his musical career, he has continued to do exceptionally well in exams.
Responding the CEO Dr Joe Odumakin expressed joy at the achievements of the young lad at such tender age of 12. In her motherly advice she urged him to stay out of trouble, focuse on his music career and school works because that is the road to success in life.
She was equally delighted that his mother discovered his talents early and is leaving no stone unturned to giving him an all round positive upbringing & education despite obvious challenges. Turning to the lad, oncemore l she says: ”I feel really honoured to have this invitation extended to us; and will do my very best to be there despite very tight schedules.
She continued, my team & l are highly delighted to have you here today and l will like to state that you have been a great role model to the younger ones, and indeed the society. For this reason, the office of Women Arise for Change Initiative, is proud to make you her youngest Ambassador and will encourage your good works to the society
All the speeches were greeted with resounding ovation by all present.
Ozzy who had dropped several hit titles and albums with A-list artistes both in Nigeria and Africa sealed the evening by performing one of his hit tracks “Shake It” ft Mr Real. He had everyone in the room grooving to the beats.
At least 23 people were killed in a series of suspected suicide bombings, police in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri said on Tuesday.
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More than 100 other people were injured in the blasts that took place on Monday evening in the capital of Nigeria’s restive Borno state.
No group has claimed responsibility for the suspected attacks.
The deadly blasts come after a military post was attacked overnight Sunday to Monday, which authorities blamed on suspected Islamist militants.
This sad incident is coming barely two weeks after Primate Elijah Ayodele, the Leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church specifically warned against attacks in some states. He mentioned these states while calling on security operatives to pay close attention to them.
These were his words:
“Another attack is coming up in these following states where the military must watch carefully and intelligently; Kano, Kaduna, Zamfara, Kebbi, Niger, Borno, Kwara and Kogi state. They want to do a deadly attack, it’s preventable but it depends on how they will handle it. I have told you about the danger coming up.”
@primateayodele
Unfortunately, some of our military agencies don’t believe spiritual intelligence can save the country from so much danger hence, their neglect of this prophetic warning but now, it has been fulfilled with the miliary losing credibility by the day while Primate Ayodele continues to gain momentum.
Likewise, At least 26 passengers and crew sustained varying degrees of injuries on Monday following an accident involving the Kaduna–Abuja train, according to the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
Opeifa explained that the train departed Rigasa in Kaduna at 7:15 a.m. and was approaching Asham station around 9:16 a.m. when a loud bang was heard after the power car and trailing locomotive collided with one of the passenger coaches.
In July 2025, Primate Ayodele asked nigerians to pray not to see train mishap on the Kaduna-Abuja route.
@primateayodele #nigeriantiktok🇳🇬 #fulfillment #train #abuja #primateayodele
“Let’s pray not to see train mishap in Abuja-Kaduna, Kaduna-Abuja route.”
This has also been fulfilled.
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
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