In a profound reflection on the state of the freight forwarding profession, an industry expert and veteran freight forwarder; Mr. Eugene Nweke, has voiced concerns about the growing challenges within the sector.
In a press statement which he termed as “A Professional Lamentation”, and sent to our correspondent, he said the letter served as a call to action for all freight forwarding professionals to reassess their roles, responsibilities, and collective destiny.
Nweke observed that the freight forwarding industry is grappling with numerous challenges. These challenges, he said ranges from regulatory oversight by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to internal divisions among practitioners and unethical practices that threaten the very fabric of the profession.
At the heart of Nweke’s lamentation is the issue of identity and unity within the profession. He questions whether freight forwarders have lost touch with the core principles and ideologies that should guide their profession. He asks if they are bereft of professional ideology and sound knowledge, pointing to a widespread failure among professionals to uphold the standards and ethics of the industry.
He also lamented the inability of the freight forwarding community to come together to reposition and administer their professional destiny. He questions if each member of the profession, through detrimental camaraderie, unethical behaviors, and professional compromises, is contributing to the gradual incapacitation of the profession.
Nweke further highlights the negative perception that has taken root within the maritime industry, where freight forwarders are increasingly seen as an
He said that an “unregulatable group in an unregulated environment” is leading to a situation where the profession is being practiced in reverse order, with no clear purpose or direction.
He also pointed to the growing influence of unprofessional elements within the industry, who, through their association with unethical practices, are undermining the integrity of the profession.
Nweke asks whether the captains of this noble profession still exist, suggesting that many of the industry’s leaders have taken a backseat, leaving the profession to languish.
Despite these challenges, Nweke noted that he remained hopeful that the profession could be saved. He called on his colleagues to “rejig our collective commitments towards taking our professional destiny into our hands.”
He said this means streamlining the factors that divide the profession and focusing on those that unite it.
He added that one of the key issues is the need to protect the profession from foreign influence. Nweke argued that the industry has opened itself up too much to outsiders, compromising national security in the process.
He called for a deliberate effort to embrace true professionalism and to close the doors to internal division, segregation, and misconduct.
Nweke’s lamentation also addressed the exploitation and extortion that freight forwarders face within the maritime and ports.
He criticized the unequal trade treatments, arbitrary charges, and operational humiliation that practitioners endure. He questioned why freight forwarders should continue to accept such conditions while being branded as bribe givers and even imprisoned for their involvement in the crime in industry.
He asserted that it was time for a willful coming together to reposition the profession and realign it among the comity of global professional freight forwarding nations.
