…Calls for regular interaction with NAGAFF
The Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dr. Dakuku Peterside has called for regular interaction between his agency and the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) in order to harness the full potentials of the maritime trade, freight forwarding and shipping business in Nigeria.
Peterside made the call Friday after listening to presentation by NAGAFF during a courtesy visit on his office by delegation from the association, led by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BOT) Chidiebere Enelamah.
The NIMASA boss commended NAGAFF for its efforts in the industry and expressed his delight at the prospect of good working relationship between the two organizations.
The NIMASA DG likens the freight forwarder to the neck which links the head and the body in their synergy with the shipper and the carrier in cargo movement from the point of origin to the point of destination.
The DG said in line with the philosophy of the President Buhari – led administration in diversifying the economic base of Nigeria through inclusive participation and regulation in spheres of economic activities
of the country, the new NIMASA under his leadership was to carry every stakeholder along in the task to reposition the agency.
The NIMASA boss assured freight forwarders of a brighter future as his own idea of the Cabotage law did not end at just ensuring that Nigerians own ships, but that freight forwarders participated actively in the carriage of goods on our coastal waters, to achieve the local content initiative of the Government.
Dr. Peterside urged stakeholders to be hopeful as the Minister of Transportation, Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, acting on the instruction of President Buhari was working assiduously to ensure that the country gets it own National carrier.
According to him, this would have a multiplier effect on the industry as this would generate a lot of activities and benefits to the country.
He thanked NAGAFF for its contributions to the industry and called for regular interactions between the two organizations so as to move the industry forward and assured the NAGAFF delegation of the agency’s determination to ensure professionalism in the industry where all critical players in the industry were given equal participation.
Earlier in his speech, the National President of NAGAFF, Mr. Oluwole Adeyemi urged NIMASA under the leadership of Dr. Dakuku Peterside to give life to Section 22(1a) of the Act setting up the agency which
mandated it to “pursue the development of shipping and regulate matters relating to merchant shipping and seafarers”.
Represented by the Deputy National President Headquarters, Chief Increase Uche, Adeyemi drew the attention of the NIMASA boss to the implication of high freight charges on Nigerian bound cargo and the
expected role of the agency in ensuring the security of the Nigerian Maritime domain.
The NAGAFF boss observed that the high freight charge on imports into Nigeria was one of the ways through which the country’s foreign reserve was depleted annually.
The NAGAFF top shot urged NIMASA to hasten up the implementation of its Cabotage responsibilities and contribute to efforts aimed at enhancing the skills and relevance of the freight forwarding practitioners.
Earlier, the leader of the NAGAFF delegation, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Elder Chidiebere Enelamah had commended the Director General for the new breath of life he had given to the agency while also extending the goodwill message of the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. B. O. Aniebonam, stating that his tenure and administration shall not witness practices that would draw the attention of the EFCC again to the agency.
Enelamah urged him to use his good office to enhance the development of freight forwarding in Nigeria adding that by so doing, help in empowering youths through skills acquisition to make them contribute their quota to the growth of the economy.
Elder Enelamah informed his host that NAGAFF was already engaged in such venture through the establishment of an Academy where most of those making waves in the industry were trained, while the association was currently collaborating with the Redeemers University of Nigeria in an exercise where some freight forwarders are undergoing courses in Certificate and Diploma programmes in line with FIATA standards.
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