By Martha Agas
The Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has called for immediate constitution of a Governing Council of the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria (CRFFN).
SEREC made the call in a statement by its Head of Research, Dr Eugene Nweke on Tuesday in Abuja.
Nweke said the CRFFN had operated without a governing council since inception of its present administration in 2023, in violation of the CRFFN Act No. 16 of 2007.
He said the continued reliance on an ‘existing court case’ to justify suspending statutory governance at the CRFFN, undermined regulatory consistency and defeated the spirit and intent of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
According to him, SEREC notes that freight forwarding and logistics service provision occupy a critical position in Nigeria’s trade facilitation, port efficiency, revenue assurance, and overall logistics ecosystem.
“Weak or incomplete professional regulation in this sub-sector directly contributes to high cost of doing business, operational inefficiencies, and reduced global competitiveness,” he said.
While commending President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, for the successful appointment and inauguration of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC), he urged for similar goodwill for CRFFN to reposition the industry.
He described the NSC’s inauguration as a timely and strategic step that reinforced institutional governance, regulatory accountability and the Federal Government’s commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s maritime sector as a driver for economic growth under the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The recent inauguration of the NSC Board clearly demonstrates that effective governance structures are indispensable for regulatory institutions to deliver on their mandates.
“In the same vein, activating the CRFFN governing council is essential to restoring professionalism, strengthening compliance, and aligning freight forwarding practice with national economic and maritime policy objectives, including the National Single Window initiative and port reforms.
“SEREC, therefore, urges the Federal Government to ensure uniformed application of statutory governance across all maritime institutions, by promptly constituting the CRFFN governing council in line with its enabling Act.
“This step will significantly enhance trade facilitation outcomes, support the development of the Marine and Blue Economy, and reinforce confidence in Nigeria’s ongoing maritime sector reforms,” he said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Chioma Ugboma
