MARCON honours NPA’s Onyemekara as Maritime PR Personality of the Year

Vice President, Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON), Paul Ogbuokiri (right), presenting the Excellence Award to the General Manager, Corporate & Strategic Communications, Nigerian Ports Authority, Ikechukwu Onyemekara, in his office.

Stanley Ihedigbo

General Manager, Corporate and Strategic Communications of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Ikechukwu Onyemekara, has been named the 2025 Maritime Public Relations Professional of the Year by the Maritime Correspondents’ Organisation of Nigeria (MARCON).

According to MARCON, the recognition follows a rigorous assessment of Onyemekara’s outstanding contributions to maritime communication, public affairs engagement and industry development over the past year.

The award was presented to Onyemekara by the Vice President of MARCON, Paul Ogbuokiri, in his office on Thursday.

MARCON noted that Onyemekara has played a key role in strengthening media relations, promoting transparency, and projecting Nigeria’s maritime interests on regional and global platforms, including engagements at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

The association highlighted that Onyemekara has distinguished himself through decades of service marked by professionalism, strategic insight and sustained commitment to enhancing the Authority’s communication architecture and stakeholder relations.

Speaking on the award, Ogbuokiri described Onyemekara’s professional record as exemplifying the highest standards of public relations practice in the maritime sector.

“Mr. Onyemekara has consistently demonstrated a rare blend of expertise, depth and responsiveness in his communication approach. His contributions have continued to enhance the visibility and credibility of the Nigerian Ports Authority and, by extension, the entire maritime sector,” he said.

Onyemekara, who expressed appreciation to MARCON for the award, noted that the quiet transformation and growth in trade and revenue currently being recorded by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) is largely due to its sustained partnership with the media.

He urged media practitioners to continue supporting the NPA and the initiatives of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, stressing that their collective efforts are essential for the maritime industry to fully contribute to President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which targets the transformation of Nigeria into a $1 trillion economy.