Iroghama Ogbeifun is driving growth and inclusion at Starzs Investments, strengthening its role in Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Iroghama Ogbeifun currently serves as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Starzs Investments Company Limited (SICL), a Nigerian-owned marine logistics firm operating within the upstream oil and gas sector. She took over the leadership of the company in February 2021, following the retirement of her father and industry veteran, Engr. Greg Ogbeifun, who led the company for over three decades.
Before assuming the top role, the businesswoman had been part of Starz’s executive team since 2014, serving as Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. During this period, she played a central role in shaping the company’s commercial, financial, and operational strategies. During her tenure, the company experienced steady growth, particularly in fleet expansion and capital investment.
When she joined the executive leadership in 2014, Starzs operated a fleet of three vessels. By 2021, the company had expanded its fleet to at least eleven vessels, a growth supported in part by a $15 million mezzanine debt financing deal secured in 2015. This funding allowed for the acquisition of more advanced assets, including a 90-ton Anchor Handling Tug Boat (AHTB), strengthening the company’s ability to support both local and international oil companies.
“The current economic challenges facing the country can be attributed to the nation’s dependence on foreign input. It’s time for local operators to take the central stage in the industry and stabilise it.”~ Iroghama Ogbeifun said during an interview
The company and its impact
Starzs Investments, founded as an indigenous company in Nigeria’s maritime space, offers vessel logistics, offshore support, and ship management services. The company is known for its focus on regulatory compliance and operational standards, with ISO certifications and oversight from bodies such as the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).
Ogbeifun’s leadership includes efforts to promote gender diversity in an industry traditionally dominated by men. She has introduced more inclusive hiring practices within the company’s cadetship programme and has overseen the placement of female officers onboard. She currently chairs the Finance and Membership Committee of the Shipowners Association of Nigeria (SOAN), where she continues to advocate for broader participation of women in the maritime sector.
Other ventures and recognitions
In addition to her work at Starzs, Iroghama Ogbeifun is the Managing Director of Eaglewatch Security Limited, a private security firm providing services across Nigeria. Her entrepreneurial career began earlier with the founding of Hairven Limited, a beauty business that gained national attention when she won the inaugural season of The Next Titan, a Nigerian business reality TV show, in 2013.
Her contributions have earned her recognition across different sectors. She was awarded the Entrepreneur TrailBlazer Award by the Quantum Business School in both 2011 and 2013 and was nominated for The Future Awards Africa in the Beauty category in 2016. More recently, she received the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board’s Women in Leadership and Empowerment Award.
Iroghama Ogbeifun continues to establish her company as an indigenous force within Nigeria’s maritime logistics industry, emphasising local content development and capacity building per national policies.
