Rising from its recent two-day strategic retreat in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, freight forwarding practitioners have agreed to give the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) all the required support, even as they confirmed that the Council is the legally recognized representatives of practitioners.
In a communiqué that was released at the end of the retreat which was attended by freight forwarders from all persuasions, it was agreed that the “council, to the exclusion of all other industry groups, shall be the principal voice for freight forwarders in Nigeria”.
In the communiqué which was sighted by our correspondent, the CRFFN equally expressed appreciation for the enactment in 2007 of the Act, even as the stakeholders equally thanked transport ministry agencies for their efforts in ensuring that the council kicks- off effectively in spite the obvious challenges that it faced.
Part of the communiqués reads that: “the council shall work to develop for the freight forwarding industry in Nigeria, a Freight Exchange for the facilitation of trade and business amongst members. The council shall work actively to ensure adequate collaboration with the Ministry of Finance, Nigeria Customs Service and other relevant government agencies.
Based on the lessons learnt from the retreat, the council is encouraged to revisit the agreed location of its corporate headquarters and the setting up of liaison offices”.
Based on the lessons learnt from the retreat, the council is encouraged to revisit the agreed location of its corporate headquarters and the setting up of liaison offices”.
Earlier while giving a keynote address at the retreat opened, the minister of transport, Alhaji Ibrahim Isa Bio had called on the Council to partner with other organizations and parastatals under his watch to ensure it fulfill its statutory roles and responsibilities as enshrined in the CRFFN Act 2007.
Commending CRFFN for inviting all stakeholder groups to the retreat, the minister specifically stressed that the parastatals are “the arrow heads of the maritime industry in the country. There should be effective collaboration between the council and these sister agencies to bridge any regulatory gaps and develop strategic partnerships. Such partnerships should be extended to other stakeholders such as the
Nigeria Customs Service, port service providers, major terminal operators and concessionaires”.
Nigeria Customs Service, port service providers, major terminal operators and concessionaires”.
“We expect that regular and professional courses, workshops, seminars and conferences would continue to feature prominently in the affairs of the council. In doing this, we need to be reminded that the world is now a global village. The council should endeavour to tap from international best practices to ensure its services are competitive and could match any in the world”.
Bio who was represented at the occasion by the Assistant Director, Maritime Services in the Federal Ministry of Transport, Mr. Danjuma Alabi urged members of the council to make professionalism their watchword in the discharge of their duties.
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