The University of Lagos (UNILAG) last weekend graduated and issued certificates to twenty-three (23) freight forwarders who participated in the one week Executive Professional Diploma in Freight Forwarding as approved by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
Among those who received the Certificates presented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics who represented the Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe at the event were the Vice President, Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and former member of the Governing Council, CRFFN, Dr. Kayode Farinto, the Secretary General of ANLCA, Alhaji Abdulazeez Babatunde Mukaila, a former member of the CRFFN Governing Council and chieftain of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), Chief Ifeanyi Ekemezie, a legal luminary, Barr. Ikenna Nwosu among others.
Speaking on graduation ceremony, the Head, Education and Training, CRFFN, Dr. Alban Igwe disclosed that the programme was specifically designed to meet the needs of freight forwarding executives and the experienced people from the rank of General Manager who had practiced freight forwarding for at least ten years.
Igwe noted that while these people may not necessarily go to the classroom to begin with the fundamentals of freight forwarding, their knowledge could be updated and formalized.
He explained that the programme was condensed such that it was not like the usual two hours per week lecture that one finds in normal academic setting adding that it was an intensive programme which lasted for 48 hours spread along eight hours a week which when spread, one might get like one semester or two semesters as the case may be.
According to him, “It is in a condensed and conducive environment, more or less residential and we don’t pack people, we make it to be few people, about 20 to 25 people max, widely spaced and it comes with a package, your lunch is taken care of, your tea break and the environment must be conducive for learning.
“It is a programme that every executive should look forward to and subscribe to because it is a value for money programme and nobody comes out from that programme without having additional knowledge, additional skills and they can interact with the people that have attended this programme and ask them what they feel about this programme.”
He recalled that the Council had organized some earlier series in 2012 at the Rockview Hotels, Apapa, Lagos in partnership with the Nigerian Institute of Transport Technology (NITT), Zaria because they were one of the accredited training providers saying “we also held another version in Port-Harcourt but this is the first time we holding it in UNILAG after accrediting UNILAG. So, this is the first batch in UNILAG, we have had other batches in the previous years.”
Speaking on the number of students who participated in the just concluded programme and their level of commitment during the programme, Igwe said, “We had 23 registered participants; two from Port-Harcourt, the rest were from Lagos and there was a high level of commitment and desire for knowledge. So, people were not playing around, in fact, they felt like continuing because the course was very enriching. In fact I am personally impressed at their level of commitment. They all were well seated looking for the knowledge about the industry because the industry is dynamic, it is changing rapidly, a number of us is not aware of what is happening in the industry.”
He went on to inform that a former Vice Chairman, CRFFN Governing Council and former Chairman, ANLCA Board of Trustees, Chief Henry Njoku, former Chairman, CRFFN Governing Council, Hakeem Olanrewaju, founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam and a former member of the CRFFN Governing Council, Chief Peter Obih had benefited from such programme in the past.
He disclosed that participants had lectures cutting across freight forwarding in the 21st century, the legal environment, the dynamics of the logistics industry from first party logistics to ten party logistics, how much digitalization is going to affect the industry, the dangerous goods as well as the customs procedures.
He maintained that while CRFFN remained the regulator, UNILAG trains noting that “that is why we accredited them so that they can offer the trainings.”
“Certificate is issued by UNILAG and countersigned by CRFFN to show that it has regulatory approval because not every programme you undertake will have CRFFN recognition. By the Act, you need to be sure that the programme you are attending is approved by CRFFN for you to tender it for recognition and registration. So, the certificate is specifically a UNILAG certificate endorsed by the CRFFN”, Igwe added.
On the benefits of the programme to the beneficiaries, he said, “If you take this programme from UNILAG, automatically, after convocation, you will be listed among the UNILAG Alumni; secondly, the certificate is an equivalent of FIATA Diploma for our purposes. We will automatically admit such candidate to the World Logistics Passport programme which is a programme we are having in partnership with the Dubai authorities. What that means is that once you are a holder of World Logistics Passport, you can route your cargo through Dubai or anywhere among the hubs and you get a VIP treatment and you also get rewarded. So, it is like you have attained an international freight forwarder status with a Passport of recognition.”
He, however, revealed that plans were ongoing to also run a similar one in Port-Harcourt so that those in the Eastern port could take advantage of it.
“It all depends on the subscription. Some people subscribe, we don’t want it to be heavily subscribed, we just want to have modest classroom that befits executives. Once we have the required number, we can run at any time”, he further explained.
Speaking on the fate of those who met the requirements but refused to key into the programme, the Head Education and Training, CRFFN stated, “Just as you rightly know that the former Council has pegged December 2021 as the deadline for any practicing freight forwarder to have a Diploma in freight forwarding, FIATA Diploma for that matter, maybe, people want to risk it and if they risk it, they risk being deregistered.
“On the other hand, they risk being recognized like this programme of World Logistics Passport, they will see others reaping the benefits internationally while they are still doing the local things. There are also other training programmes that the Dubai authorities will also give that those people will benefit from being already members of the Passport which the other people cannot benefit. So, they risk making themselves outdated.”
Picture 1: Dr. Alban Igwe, Head Education and Training, CRFFN, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwole Familoni presenting certificate to Dr. Kayode Farinto, Vice President, ANLCA during the graduation ceremony at the weekend.
Picture 2: Dr. Alban Igwe, Head Education and Training, CRFFN, Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwole Familoni presenting certificate to Chief Ifeanyi Ekemezie, former member, CRFFN Governing Council during the graduation ceremony at the weekend.
Picture 3: Chief Ifeanyi Ekemezie, former member, CRFFN Governing Council and Dr. Kayode Farinto during the graduation ceremony at the weekend.
Picture 4: Some of the graduands during the graduation ceremony at the weekend.
Picture 5: Some of the graduands during the lectures preceding their graduation over the weekend.
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