The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has sought the entrenchment of professionalism in the practice of freight forwarding in Nigeria.
Founder of the Association, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, made the call on Thursday, during the 23rd anniversary celebration of NAGAFF, in Lagos.
While encouraging members of the association on the need and importance of getting adequately educated and become certified professionals in their practice, Aniebonam also used the opportunity to charge them on voting for candidates who would uphold good governance when in office.
Speaking further, the NAGAFF Founder charged freight forwarders to ensure that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is taken back from government’s control, because it is not an agency of the government.
He also expressed dissatisfaction that the NAGAFF academy had yet been registered by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), even when the Council is the brainchild of NAGAFF.
He said: “It is quite unfortunate that the NAGAFF Academy is not yet registered by CRFFN despite the fact that CRFFN is the brainchild of NAGAFF. NAGAFF as an organisation under my watch founded CRFFN through an Act of the National Assembly which today is a Law.
“CRFFN as it were is not an agency of the government. It is a pseudo organisation and quasi government agency, but those who were not part of the process bungled it and started parading themselves as government officials. But it is not over until it is over. The liberation struggle is on-going and the matter is still before an Appeal court.
“I have given you the platform, NAGAFF as a freight forwarding association cutting across the boundaries of Nigeria, the NAGAFF Academy to study and the Law to back you up. You must take back your profession.”
Making reference to the importance of good governance, Aniebonam, who also founded the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), told the gathering that the Party was established in 2001 as a platform to encourage young and great minds to take up positions of government in order to provide the desired good governance in Nigerian.
He urged industry stakeholders to support the NNPP, and advised against all forms of political blackmail, while encouraging them vote their conscience in the 2023 general elections.
He said: “NAGAFF at 23 is the first link of what God wants me to do for him and that has to do with the liberation struggle creating opportunities for the young freight forwarders to be able to do things on their own and have that self-confidence. That is why the NAGAFF Academy is very crucial to the administration of NAGAFF.”
On his part, the Registrar of the CRFFN, Barrister Sam Nwakohu, emphasised on the importance of education and certification for all freight forwarders.
He said it was a mandate of the Council to ensure all practicing freight forwarders got duly registered, certified and professionalised.
He also disclosed the Council’s decision to deregister any freight forwarder who did not possess at least a Diploma in Freight Forwarding by the end of 2023.
He, however, advised the freight forwarders to ensure enrolment for training and get fully-certified before the deadline, to avoid being de-registered or denied a place of practice of freight forwarding in Nigeria.
In his speech, the National President of the Association, Chief Tochukwu Esizi, said NAGAFF would continue to keep its promise of bringing in new ideas and innovation into the maritime industry, through new and evolving digital technology, maintaining and improving new values, standards, ethics and professional ethos of the industry.
He said that NAGAFF would continue regular stakeholders’ engagement to remain proactive and dynamic in its advocacy campaigns, to ensure that the maritime industry through freight forwarding gets fully-recognised as a leading economic contributor.
Also using the occasion to address stakeholders at the gathering, the Lagos gubernatorial candidate for the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour, described the maritime industry as particularly important sector of Lagos State that must run efficiently.
He expressed worries over the state of the roads and the traffic situation within the ports in Lagos.
He gave his word of promise to address the problems through adequate provision of multi modal transport system, proper call up system and eradication for harassments from touts.
According to him, part of his plans if elected, would be to work closely with the maritime stakeholders to improve port services efficiency, including the provision of more ports.
