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Nigerian maritime youths under the platform of the Annual Maritime Students and Youth (AMSAY) Conference will honour two late maritime icons, Otunba Kunle Folarin and Dr. Chris Asoluka, with posthumous awards at the 10th edition of the conference scheduled for June 10, 2026, in Lagos.
The awards form part of activities marking the conference’s 10th anniversary and are aimed at celebrating the enduring legacies of the two distinguished maritime leaders whose contributions significantly shaped youth development and capacity building within the industry.
According to the organisers, Platforms Communications, the honours recognise the duo’s unwavering commitment to mentoring young professionals and advancing human capital development in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
While the late Dr. Chris Asoluka, former Chairman of the Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Lekki, will receive the Maritime Most Profound Eloquent Speaker Award, the late Otunba Kunle Folarin, former Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Consultative Council (NPCC), will be honoured as the Nigerian Maritime Encyclopedia.
Speaking ahead of the event, AMSAY Conference Convener, Sylvanus Obasi, described both men as foundational pillars of the initiative whose support and guidance were instrumental to its early success.
“Dr. Asoluka and Otunba Folarin were among the earliest believers in the AMSAY vision. They freely shared their knowledge, networks and experience to ensure the conference gained credibility and acceptance within the maritime community,” Obasi said.
He recalled that at the maiden AMSAY Conference in 2016, Asoluka delivered the lead paper titled ‘How Nations Develop Their Maritime Sector’, while Folarin presented ‘A New National Carrier in the Offing: Lessons from the Rise and Fall of NNSL’.
According to him, both men continued their support at subsequent editions. In 2018, Asoluka delivered another lead presentation on ‘The Local Content Act, the Cabotage Act and Everything In-Between: How Beneficial to Nigerian Youth?’, while Folarin inspired participants as Father of the Day.
Beyond their intellectual contributions, Obasi noted that both maritime leaders provided strategic direction and leveraged their extensive networks to strengthen the conference during its formative years.
Folarin passed away on November 8, 2022, shortly before his 82nd birthday; while Asoluka, a respected development strategist and policy expert, died on May 10, 2025, at the age of 70.
The AMSAY Conference has evolved into one of Nigeria’s leading maritime youth platforms, promoting mentorship, knowledge sharing and professional development for aspiring maritime practitioners. Organisers say this year’s anniversary edition will attract participants from across the maritime industry.
