judges / Advisory Board members
Colonel Barthélemy Blédé is currently Key Expert of the European Union-ECOWAS Project called “Support to West Africa Integrated Maritime Security – SWAIMS”, in which he is in charge of the private sector and civil society and acts as Liaison Officer with the Regional Centre for Maritime Safety and Security in West Africa (CRESMAO). He is also Deputy Chief Facilitator at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana for the Maritime Security and Transnational Organised Crime course since 2013 to date.
Blédé is Administrator of maritime and port affairs and has held important positions in his country, Côte d’Ivoire, in particular those of Deputy Director and Project Manager for the implementation of the ISPS Code at the Port of Abidjan from 2004 to 2011 and Adviser to the Director General of Maritime and Port Affairs.
He was a Senior Researcher at the Dakar office of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) from 2014 to 2017, from where he published several articles and analytical notes on maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Guinea.
He was a consultant for the United Nations system between 2017 and 2019. In this position he contributed to the realisation of several projects in West Africa, in particular the revision of the merchant marine code of Guinea and the study of a strategy for the development of a blue economy in Côte d’Ivoire.
Colonel Blédé is a graduate of the World Maritime University in Malmö, Sweden (MSC in maritime affairs, specialising in shipping management) and the School of Maritime Affairs Administrators in Bordeaux, France. He is completing a master’s degree in project management and a specialisation in monitoring and evaluation.
Dr. Ifeyinwa Akerele is an accomplished administrator with expertise in both the public and commercial sectors. She possesses exceptional personnel management abilities. She founded / pioneered the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) and is a Life Member of the Governing Council. She is a member of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS). Currently, she serves as Chairman of the NCS’s Executive Management Committee.
lfy once served as the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Institute of Directors (loD) and is a Fellow of the Institute.
lfeyinwa is vast in Governmental matters and once served as a Senior Special Assistant to the Presidential Liaison Officer by the Presidency (Senate).
She belongs to various organisations including being: Former President/ Member of the Women’s International Shippjng & Trading Association (WISTA International), Ambassador Women in Maritime Africa forum WIMA, Member I Chairperson Committee on Midstream of Women in Energy Oil & Gas (WEOG), Partner OAL/ Legal, Head of Maritime Group.
She is currently a Partner with the renowned Law Firm Olisa Agbakoba Law, Legal (OALLegal). She also consults widely on advocacy for Maritime Policy with a bias for gender issues.
Mohamed Tayel is a highly adaptable subsea Integrity Engineer (Offshore Client Rep / Sr. Offshore Project Engineer, O.C.M) with more than 20 years extensive experience across onshore / offshore, project management, top side and subsea activities, including IRM projects, and senior professional with experience spanning a broad spectrum of disciplines ranging from Engineering management and strategy development through to marketing communications.
Tayel has worked in the following areas and expérience as: Senior Offshore Subsea Engineer / MWS Spain; Technical Director / Project Manager for Andra Offshore; Subsea Integrity Engineer for Abu Dhabi Marine Operating Company (ADMA-OPCO); Senior Offshore Project Engineer & Offshore Construction Manager for CNS International (Local Area Manager for Middle East Office, Abu Dhabi); Offshore Consultant for Sea Horse Oil Field Services; Offshore Construction Manager & Company Site Rep. PMS (DSV PMS MAYO) among others.
Tayel is a Lead Auditor with an MBA in Project Management with other certifications which include CSWIP 3.4u underwater inspection TWI north, Middlesbrough, UK., LEEA Level (II) Lifting Equipment Inspection Engineer, NEBOSH IGC Certificate, IOSH Managing Safely Certificate, Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems Lead Auditor IRCA, Fire and Industrial Safety Diploma among others.
He is also a member of International Association of Maritime Consultants and Surveyors; Member of Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO); Associate Member of Fédération Internationale Experts & Conseils Maritimes – International Marine Accredited Surveyors Association (FIEM, IMASA); Associate Member, International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), among others.
Dr. Wilson Arikpo, a Trustee of the Guild of Marine Surveyors is a Marine Engineer; a Fellow of the Institute of Shipping; an International Register of Certified Auditors (IRCA); a certified Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems (OHSAS 18001) Lead Auditor; Insurance Claims Mgt.
Dr Mayowa Lawrence Afe has accrued close to 30 years’ experience serving technical and management positions in the oil & gas industry.
He got a PhD in Petroleum Geology at the University of Port Harcourt and is a graduate of Harvard Business School OPM 58.
He equally had extensive training in Halliburton, where he had the opportunity to work in the United States of America, United Kingdom, Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates and Germany and thereafter joined Paradigm Geophysical as the Company’s pioneer Country Manager. He oversaw and managed the company in sub-Saharan Africa. He left the company in 2008 to establish Danvic Petroleum International Corporation, Houston Texas, USA and Danvic Petroleum International Nigeria Limited.
Dr. Afe is a: Past President and a fellow of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Explorationists (NAPE); Chairman, Board of Trustees, McPherson University (2011 – 2018); Member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologist (AAPG). Currently, he is the President, European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE) and Chairman of Board of Trustees of Oil and Gas Trainers Association of Nigeria (OGTAN).
He has published numerous scientific papers and has been awarded many professional accolades.
Dr. Afe is an esteemed member of The OMIS Advisory Board and also Chairman of the Advisory Board of the biggest and most prestigious safety award in Africa – AfriSAFE.
Mr. Asanga worked in Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) for over 33 years, during which he held numerous top-level positions.
Mr. Asanga started work in NPA in 1984 and has worked in operations, commercial as well as special duties departments.
He was at various times, General Manager in the following departments – Marine and Operations, General Manager, Eastern Port and General Manager responsible for Monitoring and Compliance at NPA.
He equally served as General Manager, Procurement, Port Manager, Lagos Port and Port Manager, Tin Can Island ports. Before then, he served as Personal Assistant to the Managing Director of NPA and was also Desk Officer for Port Reforms.
He further served as Special Assistant to the Minister of State for Transport.
Mr. Asanga holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria and a postgraduate diploma in Port and Shipping Management from the International Maritime Transport Academy, Netherlands.
He has also attended courses at Harvard University, USA, International Law Institute, Washington DC,USA, International Labor Organisation, Lagos Business School and the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, Nigeria.
Jean Chiazor Anishere, Senior Advocate of Nigeria is a respected voice in the maritime industry.
She has served as a Maritime Legal Consultant to the House of Representatives, Committee on Marine Transport and trained the first set of the Cabotage Enforcement Officers for Nigeria Maritime Administration & Safety Agency (NIMASA), on Cabotage Law and Implementation.
She has also helped to establish good & viable Maritime desks for some Commercial Banks in Lagos, Nigeria.
Anishere is a lead legal counsel to some multinational organizations on Maritime related issues; Council Member of the Nigerian Chamber of Shipping; founding member and past President, Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA-NIG.); Exco member, Nigerian Maritime Law Association; Past Continental President of African Women in Maritime Organization (WIMAFRICA); Focal point on UN / AU matters for WIMAFRICA; Legal Adviser to Commonwealth Business Women Network – Nigeria; Member of Women in Energy Network and Vice President of Maritime Arbitrators Association of Nigeria.
The senior lawyer has published many articles on Maritime related issues/Law, in several reputable journals and books.
Anishere is the Chairman of The OMIS Advisory Board and also a member of the advisory board of the biggest and most prestigious safety award in Africa – AfriSAFE.
