The Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Barr. Samuel Nwakohu has restated that any freight forwarder who refuses to acquire requisite academic qualification before 2021 will not be allowed to practice in the country.
The CRFFN Registrar said this while delivering a paper on the topic: "The Role of the CRFFN in Cargo Distribution and Logistics Chain Management in Nigeria", at the 2019 National Annual Bonded Terminal/Logistics Conference.
Quoting from the CRFFN Act, Nwakohu noted that for many years, the port operators and users have been facing a lot of challenges, particularly in the quality of services offered by freight forwarders.
He added that, the ability of a country to provide and deliver goods and services on time at an affordable cost is said to be a major indicator of such nation's global competitiveness.
He acknowledged that, “majority of freight forwarders lack the capacity for expediting and processing their shipment efficiently. The CRFFN Act was enacted in response to this problem”.
"The Act restricts the participation of freight forwarders without the required education and skills from engaging in movement of goods. Accordingly, by 2021 anyone without at least a FIATA Diploma in Freight Forwarding and Supply Chain Management qualifications will not be allowed to practice.
He said that the CRFFN is already recording an increase in the number of Education Service Providers (ESP) accredited by the Council, even as he disclosed that it has accredited over 15 institutions across the six geopolitical zones and has over 200 certified professionals to carry out trainings.
“These courses will equip the practitioners with the required skills and competencies to deliver on the job and in hence strengthen the ability of freight forwarders to participate effectively in global trade facilitation", he said.
“The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) was established by Act No. 16 2007 of the National Assembly as a regulatory agency under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Transportation. The Council is charged with the responsibility to set standards for education and skills and regulate the practice of freight forwarding with a view to promoting the highest standard of competence and professional practice".
"Conventionally, the strategic role of a freight forwarder is to ensure the efficient movement of goods. Section 30 of the CRFFN Act defines the Freight Forwarder as “any person or company who arranges the carriage or movement of goods and associated formalities on behalf of an importer or exporter along the international boundaries of sea ports, cargo airports or land border station’’.
In compliance with the Act, he pointed out that the Council has really done a lot. "The Council has developed a Register of freight forwarders in the country, grouping them into two major categories; the individual (staff and executive) and the corporate (companies and freight service providers) freight forwarders. Therefore, the Freight Forwarding industry includes all engaged in the business of international shipping and freight logistics”.
In the area human capacity development, the registrar noted that “It is widely acknowledged that human capacity development is one of the key areas for promoting efficiency in cargo movement. Section 4 of the Act charged the Council with the duty of determining the skills and knowledge to be attained by persons seeking to be registered as a Freight Forwarder and raising those standards in accordance with international standards”.
“In compliance with the enabling Act, the Council has set educational standards by developing and implementing courses in Freight Forwarding, Logistics and Supply chain management which cuts across legal aspects, dangerous goods management and ICT applications amongst others. International "Accreditation has also been obtained from International Federation of Freight Forwarders Association (FIATA), the global body regulating Freight Forwarding to execute FIATA professional Diploma courses across the entire nation. The capacity building programmes designed to address new entrants in the industry and general practitioners are reviewed periodically to meet with international standards”, he added.
Discussion about this post