Story by Dili Utomi.
It was a case of homecoming on Tuesday as the headquarters of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Maybin Street, Apapa, Lagos played host to the new Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr. Kingsley Igwe.
The premises of NAGAFF was filled with a crowd of members, CRFFN officials, journalists, entertainers as well as some curious observers. The president of NAGAFF, Chief Tochukwu Ezizi who was the host of the event kicked it open with a speech.
Chief Ezisi said that “As we come together, let us take a moment to recognise the indispensable role of CRFFN in shaping, regulating, and elevating our industry. Your steadfast commitment to maintaining professionalism, upholding ethical standards, and advocating for excellence is nothing short of inspiring”.
His words “The CEO, your visit today opens the door to greater possibilities. It is an opportunity for us to not only strengthen our ties but also to explore collaborative avenues that can lead to meaningful advancements in our field. Together, we can work towards a shared vision of enhancing capacity building, facilitating trade, and driving industry development in Nigeria”.
Chief Ezisi added “I eagerly anticipate that our discussions after this gathering and the wealth of ideas that will emerge will further strengthen the existing cordial relationship between NAGAFF and CRFFN”.
Meanwhile, a list of demands were also tabled with the Registrar and these include the following:
“1. Resolution of Outstanding Issues:
We demand that CRFFN provides a clear roadmap for resolving outstanding issues affecting our members, including but not limited to, the payment of Practitioners’ Operating Fees (POF).
2. Improved Regulation and Enforcement:
We demand that CRFFN strengthens its regulatory and enforcement framework to prevent the activities of unlicensed and unregistered freight forwarders.
3. Increased Stakeholder Engagement:
We demand that CRFFN engages more regularly with NAGAFF and other stakeholders to ensure that the concerns and interests of our members are taken into account.
4. Capacity Building and Training:
We demand that CRFFN provides regular training and capacity-building programme for our members to enhance their skills and knowledge.
5. Recognition of NAGAFF’s Role:
We demand that CRFFN recognises NAGAFF’s role as a critical stakeholder in the freight forwarding industry and involves us in decision-making processes.
We believe that these demands are reasonable and essential to promoting a positive and productive relationship between CRFFN and NAGAFF”.
The meeting took the shape of an interactive session as many freight forwarders, one after another took turn to make individual observations, requests and also to give advice about the way forward.
The Registrar who was the immediate past general secretary of NAGAFF said that he felt loved with the warm reception that was accorded him.
He cleared the air about some misconceptions regarding the regulatory role of the CRFFN over some sister agencies and said that they all have their functions which are separate , but that they all work to acheive their mandates as empowered by the constitution.
Mr. Igwe said that since he has been on the saddle, the issue of the smooth collection of the professional operation fee (POS) is being addressed and that the technical issue regarding communication network is being presently sorted out. Again, he added that the POF declarant fee meant to be given to freight forwarders is also being sorted out as the problem of data regarding who is entitled to be paid is also being taken care of.
He weighed in on the issue of identification card from the CRFFN in order to have easy access to the ports and added that they are working hard to tackle the issue and to issue identification cards to all those who are properly documented. He opined that import declaration should rightfully start at the foot of the CRFFN and that there is a need to review the CRFFN act to reposition it and give the Council the right impetus to perform its duty properly as an agency that regulates logistics services.
“This process is the essence of the national single window and this is where we need everybody’s voice because it wil put a stop to the matter of demand notices being put on cargoes as all processes would have been cleaned up by the CRFFN before moving to the next stage to be handled
by the sister agencies”.
On training, Mr. Igwe said that “everyone along the logistics and supply chain should have regular training, but training should not just be for the sake of certificate acquisition, but for the purpose of gaining knowledge and to be more professional in practice”. He promised that the CRFFN will soon realise it’s programmes and policies to have a more professional freight forwarding practice.
On the issue of improving their revenue, he said that part of the policy document that he submitted shall include getting revenues from the courier service motorcycles and the transport operators as these are all included as logistics services operations.
On his part, the founder of NAGAFF and the man who lays claims as the original mastermind of the CRFFN, Doc. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam said that “as one of our own, we should pray for him to succeed”. He said that “the CRFFN is part of the cabotage legislation and that the Council was initially hijacked by a sister association, but that be that that as it may NAGAFF remains the most friendly association as we will always try to work with others”.
Dr. Aniebonam insisted that “anybody that thinks that he can blackmail any other person should go to hell”. He chides everyone to remain patriotic and steadfast in doing the right thing as he advises the CRFFN Registrar to continue along the path of focused and deliberate positive actions so that he will leave a very good legacy.
Doc. Aniebonam pledges total support to the Registrar in order for him and his team to succeed. The usual merriment that NAGAFF is known for followed the talks.
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