"It is going to gladden my heart if we can get our permanent secretariat in six years"
Mr. Adeyemi Oluwole is the president of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF). In this first media interaction since taking over the mantle of leadership in the association, he told Shipping Position Daily newspaper correspondent; Roland Ekama about what to expect. The air freight expert talked about his passion, vision and dreams for NAGAFF.
What will be your policy trust as the new national president of NAGAFF?
We shall be looking at how to expand the scope of the immediate past president of the association and I must thank the previous leaders of the association for doing a good job. I must first start by saying that the founder of NAGAFF Dr. Boniface Aniebonam did very well to lead us to where we are. Also late Dr. Usman Sanusi of blessed memory was an engine room to the shipping sector and NAGAFF will never be complete in its history books without talking about the late president who did very well before handing over to the last person who held this position before I came on board, which is Chief Eugene Nweke who did six years to run the association very well. Part of what we intend to do in NAGAFF is to ensure that we bring to the fore the use of ICT in totality, because it is where the world is going now. We will ensure to work with international organisations that have being tested and certified okay. We will further register the association with more international recognised bodies, so that whenever they have anything to do with Nigeria, members of NAGAFF will be very busy to assist. That is one; then again, issue of how to empower our members will be key under my leadership. The other day during our NEC meeting, members agreed that even though it is in our constitution we are yet to enforce it and that is that every member will be paying a token yearly fee of between N5000 to N10000 so that we can use such funds to plan ahead. We can roll out a budget and plan ahead towards that budget on yearly basis to achieve some level of progress. I want to make bold to say that by the special grace of God, if I spend two terms as NAGAFF president, part of what I intend to do is to get a befitting secretariat for NAGAFF. I know is a tall order but however I know it is achievable, we can get land like what a sister association did. NAGAFF is known to follow positive and strategic thinking therefore we must surely have a place that we can call our own. So in summary, ICT, foreign affiliation of our association and the secretariat are the high points of this administration and we know we can achieve all under this short period.
Talking about a befitting national secretariat for NAGAFF, how do you intend to get funds for this project?
Part of what we have set out to do in the first month of resumption is to visit organisations that can impact on us. I can count about 5 to 10 government agencies that we can leverage on to ensure that we get fund to assist us on that project. Even though customs may not be able to assist us like before because of the headship, we know how to go about it. However in the next couple of years even though we will not agitate for his removal as CG of customs, whatever impartation he needed to do Customs must have been fully entrenched. Aside the customs we have NIMASA, Shippers Council, NPA, SON and a whole lot of them. When they know that we can add up to what we are doing with positive mind, concession from them will not be a big deal, especially when you are not going to put the money in your pocket. The moment we have a place of our own then it will lessen the hand-out they are giving us, it is going to gladden my heart if we can get our permanent secretariat in six years because I know the amount we pay as rent in our current national secretariat and how the money is being raised is not the best way for those who are funding us for now.
You under-studied your predecessor for three months before you emerged president of NAGAFF, in what area would say he did not perform?
Association work or government work is continuous and in our clime here, we don't look at weaknesses of an individual, but what we do is to take off from where he left the work and add on positively to what he has done. What I can tell you about him for six years is that my predecessor has been able to raise the standard to portray the fact that our association is one to reckon with, we have been churning out proposals and policy statements that mean well for the government and so, to me he has done his bit and the best I can do is to take-off from where he stopped and impact positively; looking at the policy of NAGAFF, what we intend to do, how do I ensure that I add colour to what has been done before and by the time I am leaving, there will be some positive stories to be said about Oluwole Adeyemi.
You appear to be more of an air freight operator, how do you intend to strike a balance owing to the fact NAGAFF strength lies on the maritime sector?
Even though your assumption might be right because, I am 70% air logistics person, however it might interest you to know that the building I occupy as office presently is built by aviation and maritime money ;meaning that the amalgamation of both air and sea freight businesses are what we sit and talk about always as businessmen. Thank God, that is why in NAGAFF, we have somebody in charge of air freight, sea freight and land border ;and the essence of these is to ensure that everybody does his job every well. Above all I can tell you that I have a fair idea of all that encompasses transport and logistics chain businesses, which will even make me a better president.
How do you intend to also strike a balance in an association like NAGAFF whereby majority of members are Ibos?
In the wisdom of our founder, despite opposition and campaigns, yes I can say he is from the Igbo tribe, but I can tell you that the association is indeed a national organisation and that is why he has brought in an Adeyemi Oluwole as president of NAGAFF, having consulted members of board, check my resume and also check the fact that I have been a member of the association for 14 years (which might interest you to know). Now because I started with NAGAFF 14 years ago, will tell you that I have been able to understand and interact with nearly all the departments and people from diverse states in Nigeria, therefore striking a balance is not a big deal and by His grace , with me as president of NAGAFF we are going to increase the number of Yoruba members because I can tell you that we have two companies that are set to join us, who are Yorubas and I am looking at a situation whereby we have more corporate membership. Just give us two or three years, I bet you that you won't be able to know if NAGAFF is dominated by Igbos and in a couple of years, you won't be able to know the tribe that dominate the association, because we are already working in that direction to bring people from other ethnicity.
How do you intend to collaborate with sister associations, because your predecessor had a very robust relationship with other groups, especially ANLCA?
I think we need to redesign our relationship with our sister associations and I hope the fellows at the helms of affair will be able to say it as it is, because from experience they will agree on one thing and go and do another thing at the end. However if they play ball in a situation whereby we can agree on issues and push it together without stories of being established since 1953 or that they are our senior. The point is we don't need to go into seniority but deal with realities on challenges facing our business. I intend to push in a situation whereby we meet with them and discuss so that when we are forging ahead with the federal government then we will be talking with one voice, because it’s essential. Yes ANLCA has the crowd but we have the intellectual know-how better than them and they know this because without the intellectual know-how, there is no way we can benefit from the new government.
How will you promote trade facilitation in the interest of your association?
We bless God that the way we run the affairs of NAGAFF is focused on national issues and it is always to make Nigeria better. My coming in as NAGAFF president is just to add up on ways to resolve national issues just like the one you asked about, because we all have our input to contribute in solving issues bothering on trade. Meaning that we always work as a team in and outside Nigeria and to better the association; we go out and source for eggheads that can move us forward. There will also be a think tank that we are going to form to give us top of range information about the economy on a weekly basis because we are very concerned about how to increase exportation in this country apart from oil; People like Segun Awolowo of Nigerian Export Promotional Council is somebody we will work with and see reasons why trade facilitation must be enhanced. These are areas where I know lots of opportunities will come out for NAGAFF members; even with NEXIM bank to promote export.
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