…Week-long celebrations begin as company prepares for Friday’s grand finale
Starzs Investments Company Limited (SICL) has commenced a week-long programme of activities to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a thanksgiving service in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as its founder and Chairman, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun, reflected on the company’s remarkable journey from humble beginnings to becoming one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous maritime companies.
The thanksgiving service, attended by clergymen, music ministers, staff, family members, friends and well-wishers, set the tone for the anniversary celebrations, with Ogbeifun declaring that the company’s success over the past four decades was made possible by God’s faithfulness, grace and guidance.
Founded on July 1, 1986, Starzs Investments has grown from a one-man enterprise into one of Nigeria’s foremost indigenous shipowning and maritime companies, playing a significant role in the country’s shipping and logistics industry.
Addressing the congregation, the veteran shipping professional said the company’s survival through numerous economic and business challenges was nothing short of divine intervention.
According to him, Starzs Investments was built not only on sound business principles but also on genuine Christian values that have sustained the organisation throughout its existence.
In a touching display of humility, Ogbeifun declined to begin his speech until the company’s first employee, Helen, who joined the organisation in 1987, was invited to the front for recognition.
“Helen is my first staff. From 1987, up till then, I was a one-man company”, he said, drawing applause from the congregation.
Reflecting on the company’s humble beginnings, Ogbeifun said he started the business with virtually nothing except his faith, determination and a little over ₦100.
“We started with nothing on July 1, 1986”, he recalled.
He narrated how his entrepreneurial journey began after what appeared to be a devastating setback during his corporate career.
According to him, he had risen to become one of the highest-ranking Nigerian employees in a British shipping company and had been selected for a two-year training programme in the United Kingdom, after which he was expected to return as the company’s General Manager.
Describing the opportunity as a dream come true, Ogbeifun said he sold everything he owned and travelled home to Benin to build a modest house for his parents, believing he was about to begin a new chapter of his life abroad.
However, just two days before his scheduled departure, he was unexpectedly recalled to the office and asked to resign.
“Two days before the trip, they called me back to the office. I was confused. I didn’t know what was happening”, he said.
Despite the shock, he submitted his resignation and accepted his terminal benefits, uncertain about what the future held.
Looking back four decades later, he described that painful moment as the turning point that laid the foundation for Starzs Investments.
“At that time, I needed to believe God. God was no longer a name or a game”, he said.
He noted that the experience transformed his faith and taught him complete dependence on God rather than on personal achievements or career prospects.
Ogbeifun also shared another defining chapter of his life, revealing that about five years after starting the company, he became a born-again Christian, only to suffer another major setback shortly afterwards.
“I thought everything would become easier after I gave my life to Christ, but within two years, I lost everything”, he recalled.
He said he questioned God about why his fortunes appeared to decline after becoming a Christian.
According to him, the answer he received changed his perspective forever.
“I told God that when I was not a believer, I was making so much money. Why should this happen now? Then He said to me, ‘I told you that you were going to lose everything. I was going to empty you out and begin a new work.’
“That is the work we are still doing today”, he said.
The chairman admitted that the journey had not been easy, recalling periods of depression, tears, disappointments and repeated setbacks.
“How many times did I fall? So many times. How many times did I have depression? So many times. How many times did I weep? So many times”, he said.
Despite the difficulties, he said every challenge became part of God’s process of shaping both his life and the company.
Ogbeifun urged young Nigerians and aspiring entrepreneurs to prepare themselves mentally for the realities of doing business in the country and to resist the temptation to compromise their integrity for quick gains.
“Nigeria is a difficult place to survive in terms of business”, he said.
“The system can make you fail. But the biggest thing that will make you fail is not being true to yourself. Many times, I was offered opportunities to do illegal things that would have brought temporary relief, but they would also have destroyed everything”.
He encouraged entrepreneurs to remain disciplined, patient and steadfast, stressing that lasting success comes through integrity, resilience and faith.
Expressing gratitude to God for preserving him and the company over the last 40 years, Ogbeifun also prayed for the next generation of leaders within Starzs Investments.
“In 40 years’ time, I don’t want to be here; I want to be in a better place. But most of you will still be here, and you will be doing 40 times greater than what I am doing today, in Jesus’ name”, he prayed.
Earlier in his sermon, the General Overseer of The King’s Assembly, Pastor Chris Ugoh, described the company’s 40th anniversary as a milestone worthy of celebration and thanksgiving.
He commended Ogbeifun’s vision, perseverance and unwavering commitment, noting that great organisations are often built through sacrifice, persistence and faith.
“Today, we celebrate the visionary chairman that God has used to give birth to this vision”, he said.
“You did not have everything when you started. That is why I encourage visionaries never to give up because of the many lives that will eventually depend on their success”.
Drawing a comparison with the sacrifices made by mothers, Ugoh said genuine leadership often requires enduring pain, disappointments and pressure before success eventually comes.
“Like mothers who endure hardship for their children to succeed, visionaries must also persevere through difficult seasons because joy eventually comes”, he said.
He later led the congregation in prayers for Starzs Investments, its founder, management and staff, asking God to grant the company greater accomplishments in the years ahead.
The thanksgiving service featured vibrant worship and praise sessions led by renowned gospel artiste Moses Bliss, the Afiba Music Academy Choir and Minister Emmanuel, creating an atmosphere of gratitude, worship and celebration.
The 40th anniversary celebrations will continue throughout the week with a series of activities highlighting Starzs Investments’ contributions to Nigeria’s maritime industry and national economic development.
The celebrations are expected to climax on Friday with a grand anniversary event that will bring together prominent figures from Nigeria’s maritime sector, government, business community and international shipping industry to honour the company’s four decades of excellence and chart the course for its future growth.