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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the reconstitution of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), with the new appointments taking effect from June 24, 2025.
This move is in line with Section 5 of the NIMASA Act, which mandates that the board shall be responsible for determining the policies of the agency, particularly with regard to its financial, commercial, and operational programmes.
The newly appointed board members were officially inaugurated on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, and include representatives from key stakeholders in the maritime sector.
These include the Ministries of Marine and Blue Economy, Labour, the Nigerian Navy, the Director-General of NIMASA, and other professionals with demonstrable expertise in shipping, labour, and maritime affairs.
Among the most notable appointments is that of Mrs. Iroghama Ogbeifun, a highly respected figure in Nigeria’s maritime sector. She currently serves as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Starzs Investments Company and chairs the Technical Committee of the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN).
Her appointment is widely regarded as a significant step toward institutional excellence and an affirmation of the administration’s resolve to position merit and competence at the heart of national development.
Industry observers have hailed Ogbeifun’s inclusion on the board as both strategic and inspiring, noting her consistent track record of innovation, growth, and high-performance leadership. Known for her commitment to excellence and her drive for transformational change, Ogbeifun has played a pivotal role in expanding Nigeria’s maritime logistics sector and supporting the country’s broader blue economy agenda.
Her academic and professional credentials further reflect her suitability for the role. Ogbeifun holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston, as well as a Master’s degree in Public Health and Health Promotion from Brunel University, London.
She is also an alumna of Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management programme and has completed certifications in Commercial Risk in Shipping from Lloyd’s Maritime Academy, among others.
With over a decade of experience in maritime operations, Ogbeifun has led strategic initiatives in business development, finance, research, and policy formulation. She is known for her emphasis on revenue performance as a key leadership metric and has demonstrated success in this area.
Notably, under her guidance, Starzs qualified for a $15 million Mezzanine Debt financing in 2015 to support business expansion. Moreover, under her leadership, the company’s asset base expanded from three ships in 2014 to 11 ships as of February 2021—an achievement that cements Starzs as a major player in Nigeria’s maritime logistics landscape.
The formation of the new NIMASA Governing Board is seen as a critical step toward revitalising the regulatory and developmental frameworks within the maritime sector.
By selecting individuals of proven competence and vision, the federal government aims to bolster the agency’s capacity to drive innovation, enhance safety standards, and optimise economic contributions from Nigeria’s vast maritime domain.