The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has announced plans to go fully paperless in its operations before end of first quarter 2026, in line with the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy’s digital transformation drive following the launch of the Enterprise Content Management System (ECMS) in December 2025.
The Registrar of the Council made this known in Lagos last week when a delegation of the Maritime Media and Capacity Development Centre (MMCDC) led by its Chairman, Mr. Sesan Onileimo, paid a courtesy visit to the CRFFN headquarters.
Recall that last year, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, alongside the Head of the Civil Service, Didi Walson-Jack, in Abuja launched the ECMS, a digital records and workflow platform to improve transparency and investor-facing service delivery across Nigeria’s maritime sector.
Oyetola said the platform would streamline internal processes, strengthen records management and improve decision-making, helping the ministry to engage investors and operators more efficiently as activity in the marine and blue economy expands.
Before the Ministry, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) had officially unveiled its ECMS, in line with the Federal Government’s drive to modernize public‑service delivery and improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria’s maritime sector. The unveiling ceremony also took place in Abuja.
According to the Registrar of CRFFN, the ECMS launch by the Ministry marked a major turning point for agencies under its supervision, with a clear directive that all institutions must embrace technology and migrate their operations to digital platforms in 2026.
Igwe explained that CRFFN had already anticipated the shift and commenced its migration process as far back as last year, putting structures, systems and instruments in place to ensure a seamless transition. He noted that the move to paperless operations would improve efficiency, transparency and service delivery, while reducing bottlenecks associated with manual documentation across the freight forwarding regulatory space.
“Following the official launch of the ECMS by the Federal Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, the Ministry has mandated all agencies under it, to embrace technology and go digital in their operations in 2026. For CRFFN, this is not entirely new. We began the migration process last year, and we are positioning every instrument needed for a smooth transition. Our projection is that the Council will be fully digital by March 2026,” Igwe said.
The Registrar also disclosed that CRFFN is not alone in the transition, as other agencies under the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy have started keying into the digital mandate, aligning their internal processes with the ECMS framework and broader automation agenda of the Federal Government.
He described the Ministry’s initiative as a strategic step towards modernising Nigeria’s maritime administration, enhancing cargo management, and strengthening the ease of doing business at the ports and across the logistics chain.
