MARITIME INDUSTRY PAYS TRIBUTE TO LATE DR. AUSTIN KELLY
Maritime Industry pays tribute to late Dr. Austin Kelly
By Babatunde Aremu
The maritime community came together to pay their respects to Dr. Austin Kelly, a revered figure in Nigeria’s freight forwarding and maritime sector, who passed away recently. A wake-keep ceremony was held at the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) headquarters in Apapa, Lagos, where family, colleagues, and industry stakeholders gathered to celebrate his life and legacy.
Dr. Clement Iwegbuna, a renowned evangelist and spiritual leader, delivered a sermon, urging attendees to live lives marked by integrity, accountability, and self-reflection. He reminded them that “it is appointed unto man once to die, and after this, judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
Tributes poured in from family, colleagues, and friends, who described Dr. Kelly as a generous, principled, and committed professional whose influence shaped the freight forwarding sector. His daughter, Vivian Awana, praised her father’s legacy, saying he “lived a life defined by integrity, excellence, and service to humanity.”
The maritime community has reaffirmed its commitment to uphold the values Dr. Kelly embodied: service, discipline, integrity, and compassion. As burial rites continue, the industry mourns the loss of a dedicated professional who left an indelible mark on the sector.
