Veteran Nigeria Maritime journalist and entrepreneur, Chief Ubon Jimmy Akpan, aged 56, is dead.
He died in the early hours of Thursday June 20, 2019 after a brief illness.
He had a distinguished career as a
practicing journalist with over 33 years experience in major media
organisations, including The Punch and Champion newspapers. Although he covered
many beats and served as state correspondent in a number of states, it was in
the maritime industry that he excelled and found fulfillment as he transcended
the reportage of the maritime beat to become an entrepreneur in the shipping
industry.
In 1999, he teamed up with some close friends – Asu Beks, Emeka Okoroanyanwu,
Alban Opara and Pius Mordi – to co-found Maritime Publications Limited which
pioneered the publication of specialised journal through Maritime Quarterly
magazine.
Reputed for his boundless energy, candour and commitment, Ubon Akpan was also a
former president of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) and a
founding member of the League of Maritime Editors.
He carved a niche for himself as an outspoken and forthright commentator, analyst
and stakeholder in the maritime industry. In his commentaries and
interventions, Akpan never wavered in pushing his conviction that the potential
in the maritime industry can drive Nigeria’s economy with the right policy mix.
Akpan was also devoted to his community and worked assiduously for the
uplifting of his people. He was a one-time president of the Ibiono Ibom Welfare
and Development Association (IWADA) in Lagos among various capacities. He also
served in the executive council of the Akwa Ibom State Community
(AKISCOM), Lagos branch.
His early education began at the famous Hope Waddell Training Institute,
Calabar from where he proceeded to The Polytechnic, Calabar where he obtained a
Higher National Diploma (HND) in Mass Communication. He went to University of
Ibadan where he completed a program in Masters in Communication Arts (MCA).
Witty, boisterous and outspoken, Ubon as he was called by his friends and
colleagues longed for a better Nigeria welcoming to entrepreneurship, a factor
that made him shun paid employment to actualise his dream of being a genuine
stakeholder in Nigeria’s shipping industry.
He is survived by his wife Esther, children and siblings.
Burial arrangements as announced by his family.