By Joshua Yousouph
The Registrar/CEO of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr. Kingsley Onyekachi Igwe, has accused the Council’s consultant; SW Global of perpetrating fraud, sabotaging government revenue, and illegally continuing to collect the Practitioners’ Operating Fee (POF) months after its contract with the Council was officially terminated.
In an exclusive interview with Shipping Position Daily last week, Igwe alleged that the company has refused to hand over the POF platform, continued to deduct its 20 percent commission, and has deliberately frustrated the Council’s attempts to regain control of its own revenue system.
Igwe explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) had approved a seven-year contract for the automation of POF collection, with a clear termination date of May 28, 2025. According to him, the CRFFN issued notices ahead of the expiration and again after the contract officially ended, mandating SW Global to stop collecting POF, cease deducting commission, return full control of the platform to the Enterprise Resource Management Bank, and submit a comprehensive audit of all funds collected and remitted, including taxes.
The company was also instructed to surrender all access credentials and conduct a final handover training. Despite these directives, the CRFFN Registrar lamented that, SW Global refused to comply.
Describing their actions as “criminal,” Igwe said SW Global has continued to operate the platform and receive revenue in defiance of the FEC-approved termination. He added that the Council had formally notified the company of its infractions and also escalated the matter to the supervising ministry. He disclosed that SW Global is insisting that its contract is still valid, relying on what he described as a “kangaroo agreement” allegedly forced on a former registrar under duress.
This controversial document, he said, unlawfully altered the original FEC contract by extending the duration from 2025 to 2026 and inserting an automatic seven-year renewal clause. Igwe noted that the FEC has been made fully aware of the development.
The Registrar also accused SW Global of seizing the Council’s official website, denying CRFFN access to update its content or publish official information. He said this has severely limited transparency and the Council’s ability to communicate with stakeholders and the public. According to him, this act, coupled with the company’s refusal to release accurate revenue figures, amount to deliberate sabotage.
Igwe alleged further that the dashboard data provided by the company does not reflect the true level of compliance by freight forwarders and suggests that SW Global has been manipulating figures to mask its continued unauthorized collection of funds.
He revealed that the Council is quietly compiling evidence and preparing for a full public confrontation, once all necessary procedures are completed. According to him, when the time comes, the process will be transparent, and both CRFFN and SW Global will be made to account for their actions before all stakeholders. He maintained that the Council is determined to reclaim its platform, restore order, and ensure that every revenue collected is accounted for, in the interest of the Nigerian government and the freight forwarding community.
On the legal front, Igwe confirmed that the court case involving the company has been appealed, and the matter will only progress once the court fixes a hearing date. He stressed, however, that the legal process does not affect the fact that the FEC-approved contract has expired.
Igwe assured stakeholders that the Council is working behind closed doors to reclaim full control of the POF platform and hold SW Global accountable.
“When the day comes, it will not be in secret. It will be live. Everybody will see what is happening,” he stressed. “Let them defend themselves. Let us defend ourselves. The contract ended on May 28, 2025. SW Global has no right and no privilege to continue collecting POF” Igwe said.
