… To ensure commencement of National Institute of Freight Forwarders
… Lauds achievements made by 3rd
Governing Council
The Chairman of the Governing Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Alhaji Dr. Abubakar Tsanni has said that the main target of the fourth Governing Council is to bring a new dimension to professional development through commencement of training and retraining of the registered freight forwarders.
Tsanni who disclosed this in his address at the inaugural meeting of the fourth Governing Council and 26th Meeting of the Council in Lagos on Thursday stated that the goal was to meet global standard in the freight forwarding business through accredited universities nationwide.
He revealed that the Council intended to ensure effective synergy among the freight forwarders, stakeholders within the maritime industry and the CRFFN as a body adding that the Council would ensure commencement of the CRFFN’s National Institute of Freight Forwarders (NIFF) in Abuja before the end of this year.
This, he said, would enable the Council develop professionalism within the freight forwarding industry in Nigeria in line with the terms agreed during the third Governing Council that 35% of POF collection would be committed to training and development even as he informed that this was captured the the Council’s 2022 budgetary provision.
He also noted that of utmost priority was the development of the capacity of the Council members given the enormous tasks and expectations facing them as regulators saying that their standard and proficiency must be at par with international best practices.
“I hereby direct the Council Registrar to liaise with me to immediately prepare and organize a retreat to the fourth Governing Council members and management for performance improvement. We will immediately explore opening our offices at the Nigerian borders. This will enhance collection of POF in the air and land borders across the country”, he added.
The Chairman emphasized that registration was one of the major driving pillars of CRFFN insisting that the Council would continue to give it priority attention, ensuring compliance to the provision of Section 18 (2) and Section 4 of the CRFFN Act 2007.
“We will also request during freight forwarders registration exercise, the credentials and experiences attained by the freight forwarders in any accredited institution and for those that are already registered, should ensure submission of all their credentials. Let me reiterate here that we will further continue to hold periodic sensitization to make sure that the management of CRFFN issue ID Cards to all the registered freight forwarders to enable them conduct their practices in the ports successfully without any hitch.
“Consequently, we shall be forwarding to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and other relevant agencies to ensure that quacks are not allowed to practice as freight forwarders in all our ports in Nigeria”, he said.
He, however, appreciated members of the third Governing Council for their immense contributions and diligent sacrifices noting that in spite of of disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic which he said seriously affected its tenure.
According to him, “The third Council recorded some phenomenal success that the milestones achieved during the period have provided a solid foundation for the fourth Council to build on. The Council will indeed leverage and consolidate on these achievements in pursuit of our vision and mission.”
Alhaji Tsanni, however, maintained that a lot of crisis experienced in the third Governing Council were avoidable even as he insisted that “this Council will not, therefore, accept such internal infighting and silo mindset ranging from the management and the Registrar, Registrar to Council that frustrated Council progress and us.”
“From our experience, it is clear that strict compliance to the extant laws would have provided a seamless, rancor-free operational environment for all. As we don’t have the luxury of time to further such distractions, I call on all the Council members and the management to obtain the Council’s Act and other regulations for guidance. This fourth Council will be a Council of positive change with focus to achieve great things, God will”, he further stated.
Also speaking, the Registrar of CRFFN, Barr. Samuel Nwakohu hinted that the National Institute of Freight Forwarders (NIFF) had reached 95 percent completion and that arrangement was ongoing to commission the institute soon.
Nwakohu explained that the institute would serve as a training academy for the freight forwarders serving as a citadel of learning where the Council could deliver more effectively on its mandate of training and educating the freight forwarders.
He went on to inform that remarkable progress had been made in the construction and completion of most of the outpost offices across the country adding that the Council was now fully automated (operational integration) with the Nigerian Ports Authority on Ship’s Cargo Manifest and currently integrating with the Seaports Terminal Operators Association of Nigeria (STOAN) for the purpose of actualizing the POF collection and operational efficiency.
“Efforts are being made to provide additional office accommodation for staff in the headquarters office in Marina, Lagos to enhance productivity. Meanwhile, arrangements to acquire a suitable and conducive corporate and administrative headquarters in Lekki, Lagos has reached advanced stage.
“The Abuja Liaison office has relocated from the rented apartment at Asokoro to the CRFFN permanent site at Lied Camp, Abuja where National Institute of Freight Forwarders (NIFF) participants hostel accommodation and liaison office are housed.
“Outstanding subscription with the International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA) has been liquidated and the Council was officially readmitted in April 2022. This will enable the Council to prepare for FIATA revalidation exercise by September 2022 in Busan, Republic of Korea. We, therefore, encourage all practitioners to ensure that they obtain the FIATA Diploma in freight forwarding and supply chain management or its equivalent”, he said.
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