The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has said that it would revisit the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) with a view to taking a second look at its name.
The NIFFCB which is a training arm of CRFFN was initially established as the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders (NIFF) but was later on changed to the Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers following agitations from Customs agents.
Speaking to newsmen in Lagos on Friday, the Chairman, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Lillypond/Ijora Chapter, Rev. Emmanuel Agubanze questioned the rationale behind the emphasis on Customs Brokers since according to him, customs brokerage was a sub-sect of freight forwarding profession.
He maintained that such development was capable of bringing bad blood into a profession that was supposed to be one.
“Like I had just asked the President, I had wanted to know why we continue to talk about like their name,” The Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers”. I was asking him and said why do we say Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers? Because we know that customs brokerage is a segment of freight forwarding. What if tomorrow some people, let’s say the truckers or say the warehousing people, they come to say you have to put Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Warehousing Practitioners or truckers?”
“So we have to get things right. We are not supposed to have customs brokers as part of the name because brokerage is just a segment of freight forwarding. That was what I just told him and he said,” well, you have made a good observation” and that they are still going to look at it again”.
While suggesting that the name may have been so coined to carry everybody along, Rev. Agubanze however maintained that if they wanted to do things right, they should go ahead to do things right adding that until things were done right, this country would never be in the path of progress and development.
But in a quick reaction, the Registrar of CRFFN, Sir Mike Jukwe disclosed that he had just been officially notified about the name in writing promising that the council would take a second look at the name with a view to painting the real picture of the institute.
According to him,” we will look at that, we will take a second look at it. I have just been informed today, infact officially, I have just been notified in writing on the new name. So, I cannot make comment on that, the Council will look at it and say what should be done. But the regulations that we have made is very clear; Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders”.
