Author: Saint Augustine

The Nigerian Institute of Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers (NIFFCB) has called on the Freight Forwarders to cooperate with it in its drive to train crop of dedicated individuals that could be of service to the Freight forwarding industry. Addressing the National officers and Lagos Chapter Executives of the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators during a courtesy visit to the association’s Secretariat in Lagos on Tuesday, the National president of NIFFCB, Dr. Zebulon Ikokide said that the appeal was necessary so as not to allow the positive contributions of the Freight forwarding industry to be tarnished through…

Plans are underway to upgrade the premier maritime training Academy in Nigeria, the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron in Akwa Ibom state to university. The Rector of the Academy, Mr. Joshua Okpo who made this known while speaking with journalists on the sideline of the 2014 National conference and Annual General Meeting of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) in Lagos last Weekend. Okpo who was represented at the conference by Mrs. Alice Mkpandiok disclosed that the bill to that effect was already on the floor of the National Assembly. He also noted that some new courses had…

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria has indicated its intention to get the National Assembly to pass its bill into law so as to further accord legitimacy and recognition to its activities in the country. Speaking on the sideline of the 2014 National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Institute in Lagos, weekend, the President of the Institute, Major Gen. Umar Usman (rtd.) stated that once the institute succeeded in domesticating the Act in Nigeria, there would be no limit to how far the institute could go. He said, “ I led the team of few…

The Federal Government and the Enugu State Government have concluded plans to site a Free Trade Zone (FTZ) in the state to fully maximize the full benefits of the international status of the Akanu Ibiam Airport, Enugu. Also, being considered by the government is making the airport a transshipment air cargo port to service the West African sub-region as well as other South east states in the country. Gov. Sullivan Chime of Enugu State, revealed last week in Enugu that president Goodluck Jonathan would soon grant his official approval for the project. Speaking while the Executive Council of the National…

Ignorance could be worse than illiteracy in legislative duties and policy drafting because illiteracy is pardonable especially when originally established. But ignorance is a cheap excuse that is very expensive and therefore not pardonable. Unfortunately, this is where 90 percent of the nation’s political class find themselves. This explains the parlous leadership condition the electorates are made to contend with. In leadership, a good leader is a pathfinder who understands the path being threaded in order to guide his or her followers. And since the return of democratic regime in 1999, Nigerians have always had lawmakers and policy makers whose…

Minister of Finance and co-ordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is among the ten influential women of substance nominated for induction into the 2014 Class of MMS Plus’ Woman of Fortune Hall of Fame. Other nominees equally cleared for induction by the Governing Council Board are: Princess Vicky Haastrup, Vice Chairman of ENL Consortium Ltd; the Late Prof. Dora Akunyili, former Minister, Communications and Information; Mrs. Monica Mbanefo, Director, Technical Cooperation, International Maritime Organization (IMO); Mrs. Ngozi Ekeoma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nepal Oil and Gas Services; (Mrs.) Folorunsho Alakija, CEO, Famfa Oil Ltd.; Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha,…

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has indicated its intention to appeal the ruling of a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos which recently ruled that the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) is a government regulatory agency. The Founder of the association, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam gave this indication in a letter he addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan titled,” Transformation Programme and Port Reforms of the President, Federal republic of Nigeria”, dated 8th August, 2014 and made available to Primetime Reporters. Dr. Aniebonam regretted that for the past five years, the freight forwarders…

The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has called on the Federal government to provide more funds to the Nigeria Customs Service to enable it meet up with its additional responsibilities. In a letter addressed to President Goodluck Jonathan, the Founder of the association, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam stated that the call became imperative because it was apparent that the service was being under funded which according to may be affecting its operations and the freight forwarding business. Dr. Aniebonam recalled that under the Destination Inspection Policy the Nigeria Customs Service had been given additional duty to manage and…

Following the planned evacuation of the o-site secretariat/operational office of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) and the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) PTML Chapter by the Grimaldi/PTML Management, the two associations have called on the terminal management to provide a call-up hall for freight forwarders and agents who do business at the terminal. It would be recalled that the management of the Grimaldi/PTML had earlier issued a removal notice to the two associations informing them that the containers being used by the two associations as temporary secretariat would be removed by the management on…

…As CILT Nigeria holds Annual conference The Federal government on Friday said that the National Transport Policy, the new railway, Ports and Harbour, the Inland waterways and the draft National Transport Commission bills would soon be forwarded to the National Assembly for enactment into law. Speaking at the 2014 National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Nigeria held in Lagos, the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar disclosed that the bills which were presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) early this year were being fine-tuned by a technical Committee headed by…