Afolabi, SIFAX Group Emerge Triple Winners at Maritime Industry Merit Awards

L-R: Joseph Ogundiran, Corporate Communications Officer, SIFAX Group; Dr. Boniface Okechukwu, Former President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders(NAGAFF); Captain Ibraheem Olugbade, Executive Director, Ports & Cargo (Representing Dr. Taiwo Afolabi); and Olatunde Adewola, Deputy Manager Corporate Communications, SIFAX Group displaying the triple awards won by SIFAX Group and it’s Chairman at the Maritime Industry Merit Awards(MIMA) 2025.

SIFAX Group and its Chairman, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, recorded a remarkable outing at the Maritime Industry Merit Awards (MIMA) 2025, clinching three prestigious honours in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Nigeria’s maritime and corporate landscape.

At the awards ceremony held in Lagos, SIFAX Group received the award for Most Corporate Social Responsibility Friendly Company, while Dr. Afolabi bagged two major individual honours, Lifetime Maritime Award and Maritime Man of the Year.

According to the Elder Asu Beks, Maritime Media Limited’s CEO, Dr. Afolabi emerged as Maritime Man of the Year after being “overwhelmingly voted” by stakeholders during a 60-day rigorous voting exercise.
In the citation read during the award presentation, the organisers said the recognition reflected his unwavering commitment to the advancement of the maritime industry and his long-standing vision of positioning Nigeria as one of the leading maritime nations in sub-Saharan Africa.

Receiving the awards on behalf of Dr. Taiwo Afolabi and SIFAX Group, Captain Ibraheem Olugbade, Executive Director, Ports & Cargo Handling Services Limited, expressed appreciation to the organisers for the recognition and conveyed the goodwill message of the SIFAX Group Chairman.

Olugbade said the triple recognition was a testament to Dr. Afolabi’s decades of transformational leadership and the company’s sustained impact across the maritime and logistics value chain.

“These awards are deeply appreciated, and they serve as a strong validation of Dr. Taiwo Afolabi’s decades-long contributions to the growth and development of the maritime and logistics industry in Nigeria.

“For us as a Group, this honour also reflects our unwavering commitment to initiatives that positively impact our communities, stakeholders and the wider society. We remain committed to excellence, innovation and sustainable growth across all our business operations,” Olugbade stated.
The triple honours further reinforce SIFAX Group’s position as one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous conglomerates, with a strong footprint in maritime, aviation, logistics, oil and gas, hospitality, and financial services.