Freight Monitor

Amaechi hails capacity building programme of CRFFN

Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation

—-as about 400 freight forwarders graduate in maiden exercise

Tunde Ojudun

The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, has lauded the capacity-building programme of the Council For the Regulation of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria(CRFFN) which he believed has marked out freight forwarding practice as a job for professionals and no longer an all-comers affair.

Amaechi, who was speaking at the maiden graduation ceremony of about 400 freight forwarders in Freight Forwarding And Supply Chain Management which was held on Saturday at the University of Lagos, described the event as a milestone for freight forwarding business in Nigeria.

The Minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr. Magdalene Ajani, enthused that the graduands have been marked out as professionals and that freight forwarding is fast becoming a profession for professionals only.

Looking back, he believed that “we can say we are doing the right thing and we are getting it right now.”

The Minister stated that freight forwarding in Nigeria is changing for the better and stated that as the world is going digital, stakeholders should look for more innovative ways to do the job of freight forwarding.

a cross-section of the graduands

He said he was looking forward to the contributions of professional freight forwarders to the digitalization of shipping operations.

In his speech, the guest speaker and immediate past Executive Secretary of Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello noted that if Nigeria had embraced technology, the problem of port congestion would not have reared its ugly head.

He called for the simplification of clearing procedures as he pointed out that freight forwarders are central to the digitalization of the ports.

He commended the National Assembly for passing the CRFFN act of 2007.

Bello noted that though the Nigeria Customs Service has modernized but charged the agency to carry along other stakeholders in its modernization programme for seamless port operation.

He tasked freight forwarders to be up and doing as they are very strategic to maritime operations.

Bello said that as professionals, freight forwarders should not be talking about closing down the ports when there is disagreement but should be in the vanguard of negotiating for better tariffs and charges for efficient port operations.

In his goodwill message, the Acting Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mr. Mohammed Bello-Koko, averred that the freight and logistics market in Nigeria has had to grapple with several challenges such as poor hinterland infrastructure, regulatory inconsistencies, insufficient investments, and high operating costs, among others.

He stated that as the custodian of seaports in Nigeria, NPA is committed to the elimination of bottlenecks to efficient cargo delivery and evacuation from the port, adding that the Authority has introduced several measures to address traffic gridlock into the ports as well as reduce transaction costs for port users.

Bello-Koko averred that despite the good efforts of the CRFFN, the domestic freight logistics industry in Nigeria remains highly fragmented, saying that the big-ticket jobs are in the hands of foreign and multinational companies from Europe and Asia.

The NPA boss enjoined local practitioners to eschew unhealthy rivalry and acrimony, but embrace consensus building and a culture of compromise.

He revealed that Nigeria’s renaissance depends a lot on a virile and competitive supply chain, stating that it’s the responsibility of freight regulators, service providers, or freight practitioners to rise above operating in silos and work in unity to grow Nigeria’s freight logistics industry into the best in Africa.

He said that the NPA regards the CRFFN as a strategic partner and ally in progress and promised to offer the needed support at all levels to the council in the discharge of its mandate to grow the knowledge base of Nigerian freight forwarders, which will ultimately bring greater prosperity to Nigerians and expand the revenue base of government at all levels.

Freight Monitor

Major industry stakeholders shun ANLCA’s NECOM inauguration

The Eyewitness Reporter

Apparently pissed off by the protracted crisis that had made the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) a laughing stock in the maritime industry in the last five years, major industry stakeholders stayed away from the inauguration of the new National Executive Council of the association.

The new NECOM, headed by Emenike Nwokeoji, was inaugurated Thursday, November 23rd, 2023 at Marcellina Place on Isaac John Street, Ikeja.

Despite the hyped nature of the event with a vaunted grade A list of invited stakeholders, most of the stakeholders whose names were flaunted at the pre-event press conference shunned the inauguration ceremony.

Top on the list of the invited guest who didn’t honour the invitation was Wale Adeniyi, the Comptroller General of Customs, who was said to have indicated his intention to personally attend.

“Already, the Customs Comptroller General has given us his word that he would be coming personally for the inauguration” the Special Assistant to the ANLCA President on Media, Alhaji Ayokunle Sulaiman, had boasted a few days before the event.

Adeniyi sent ACG Jibo Mohammed, Zonal Coorinator, Zone A, Lagos.

Curiously, none of the heads of the agencies of government in the maritime industry such as the Nigerian Ports Authority(NPA), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Shippers’Council Council, Council of Registered Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria (CRFFN) showed up nor sent their representatives.

More instructive was the absence of the CRFFN which is the regulatory agency for the freight forwarding industry to which ANLCA belongs.

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, neither came nor sent a representative.

The mass boycott of the event by the notable industry players was despite the hype to which the organizers had subjected the expected attendance of these critical stakeholders.

“The industry bigwigs, which included the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, the Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohamed Bello-Koko, all indicated their interest to attend” Alhaji Ayokunle Sulaiman had further declared before the event.

More instructive is the absence of some of the past Presidents of the Association whose attendance would have further boosted the event.

An eyewitness account has it that apart from three past leaders of ANLCA such as Prince Shittu Olayiwola, Alhaji Innua Mohammed and understandably, Chief Ernest Elochukwu, others stayed away without sending representatives.

This was despite their hyped expected attendance.

“Also, past presidents of ANLCA and past Board of Trustees Chairmen will be in attendance” Alhaji Ayokunle Sulaiman had declared prior to the event.

Most of the terminal operators, who have business nexus with the freight forwarders, were also not keen to attend the hyped event.

Apart from Grimaldi, operators of PTML and ENL, which sent junior representatives, others like PTML, Ports and Cargos, Five Stars Logistics, and Tin Can Island Port terminal all stayed away.

For inexplicable reasons, sister freight forwarding groups, who are among the five registered freight forwarding associations with the CRFFN, also stayed away, except the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) whose President was in attendance.

However, according to eyewitness reports, what the event lacked in attendance of key industry stakeholders, it gained in the massive presence of the ANLCA members who thronged the venue apparently due to long years of being starved of such air of conviviality as a result of the long- drawn crisis in ANLCA.

Stakeholders however believed that the absence of key industry stakeholders at the ANLCA event despite their due invitation and consultation is a sign of delibitating confidence of this important stock in the industry due to the long years of factional war in the association.

They however urged the Emenike Nwokeoji-led executive council to work assiduously in order to restore the fading glory of ANLCA.

Freight Monitor

ANLCA’s new NECOM craves attendance of industry stakeholders at inauguration

The Eyewitness Reporter

The Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) is set to officially inaugurate its newly elected National Executive Council led by Emenike Nwokeoji in a grand ceremony slated for Ikeja, Lagos, on Thursday, November 24th, 2023.

According to the statement issued by the Special Assistant to the ANLCA President on Media, Alhaji Ayokunle Sulaiman, industry bigwigs, which included the minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, the Comptroller General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, the managing director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Mohamed Bello- Koko, the former Executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’Council, Barrister Hassan Bello, who is billed to give the inauguration lecture, were expected to grace the occasion.

Alhaji Sulaiman disclosed that the association has set up a 13-man planning committee, headed by Hajia Bola Muse, to steer the event.

Hajia Muse is the Financial Secretary of the association. Other members of the planning Committee include; ANLCA Airport Chairman, Bangalore Adewusi, Western Zonal Coordinator, Femi Anifowose, Comrade Joe Sanni and Alhaji Ayo Sulaiman who is the Secretary of the Committee.

Speaking, he said “Stakeholders in the maritime and aviation sector have been invited, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy is expected, some of our Royal fathers including His Royal Highness, Oba Adegboruwa Igbobo, HRM Sekunmade of Ebute in Ikorodu among others.

“Also, past presidents of ANLCA and past Board of Trustees Chairmen will be in attendance”

“Already, the Customs Comptroller General has given us his word that he would be coming personally for the inauguration”

Freight Monitor

AMATO laments high level of corruption in cargo delivery system at ports, as it hosts international anti-corruption group

The Eyewitness Reporter

The Association of Maritime Truck Owners (AMATO) has lamented a high level of corruption in the cargo value chain at the Nigerian Ports.

Remi Ogungbemile, the Chairman of the group, who made the allegation while playing host to the international anti- Corruption group, Siemens Integrity Initiative at the association’s office Thursday, November 3rd, 2023, alleged that the existence of multiple checkpoints, extortion, slow terminals operations, touting and disunity in Customs operations often lead to confiscation of trucks after being duly cleared by Customs officials at the ports.

A delegation of Siemens Integrity Initiative, an International anti-corruption group that was on an evaluation of the impact of anti-corruption initiatives in the Nigerian ports environment, has paid a courtesy visit to the head office of AMATO.

Siemens Internal Initiative has provided funding since 2010 to anti-corruption agencies with the vision of ensuring a corruption-free environment for businesses and corporations around the world.

Through an external assessor, Nordic Consulting Group (NCG) Copenhagen, Siemens visited to assess the level of compliance with standard business processes and the impact of anti-corruption groups in combating the menace of corruption within the Nigerian port business environment.

AMATO Chairperson, Mr. Remi Ogungbemi, who received the delegation along with members of AMATO and sister associations, thanked the group for their unwavering effort in supporting the cause of the Nigerian port industry and truckers in particular to provide a platform for profitability and sustainability of the maritime transport business space.

Ogungbemi stated that together with Siemens, while anti-corruption groups like Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) and Convention on Business Integrity (CBI), are leaders in championing the cause of restoring sanity to Nigeria’s maritime industry, much work still remains to be done.

Giving a vote of confidence on MACN and CBI, he noted that their campaigns have led to the free movement of cargo in the outbound section of the ports’ access.

He called for a review of the Port Standing Task Team (PSTT) mandate to enable it to cover the inbound section of the port access roads where extortion of truckers and the existence of multiple barriers to trade hampers ease of doing business and seamless evacuation of cargoes from the ports.

He also called for an increase in human resources to tackle the menace head-on and financial support to accelerate the process of nipping the problems in the bud.

On their part, Private Sector Development & Partnership Experts Nordic Consulting, Mrs. Marie-Louis Appelquist, and Evaluation and Governance Expert Nordic Consulting, Mrs. Ayla Olesen Yurtaslan, took note of issues raised by the truckers and promised to escalate to relevant authorities through the Maritime Anti-Corruption alliance MACN/CBI for responsive actions.

AMATO presented merit awards to Mr. Vivek Menon of MACN; Mr. Soji Apampa, the Co-founder and CEO of CBI; and Mr. Moses Fadipe, the National Coordinator of PSTT for their collective fight against corruption in the Nigerian maritime industry.