Industry stakeholders have raised doubts over the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria’s (CRFFN) proposed nationwide standardised freight service charge regime, questioning its legality, feasibility, and enforcement capacity.
While CRFFN Registrar, Mr. Kingsley Igwe, maintains that the initiative will bring transparency, predictability, and professionalism to the sector, freight forwarders and customs agents warn that the plan could face resistance unless the Council first builds trust, clearly profiles those it regulates, and establishes practical enforcement mechanisms.
Speaking to our correspondent, Mr. Pius Ujubuonu, a chieftain of the Association of Nigeria Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), expressed concern over the scope and authority of CRFFN’s plan. “Is this something all freight forwarders and customs brokers will be willing to adopt, where CRFFN sets the charges for containers and hoarders? They need to profile the people they are regulating, make it public, and create a working arrangement with service providers, before imposing any standard operating procedures,” he said.
Ujubuonu also questioned the Council’s capacity to enforce the proposed charges, citing past controversies over the collection and distribution of the Practitioners Operating Fee (POF).
“Majority of freight forwarders and clients have not received money from inception. Without force, nobody would have paid the POF in time. They need to straighten relationships with freight forwarders before operators will comply,” he added.
Adding to the concerns, Mr. Babatunde Mukaila, former sole administrator of ANLCA, described the proposed 12.5 per cent service charge as “excessive and unrealistic.” Speaking on the planned standardisation, Mukaila said, “Whatever be the charge, it should be on the fee on board of the cargo. Twelve and a half percent is crazy. Even Nigeria Customs Service is not taking 12.5 per cent for their service. If Customs is taking 4 per cent, freight forwarders can do 4 or 5 per cent. Twelve and a half percent is not visible or practical.” He questioned whether the benchmark rate had been properly assessed against average importer costs and the operational realities of the sector.
Similarly, the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON) urged caution, acknowledging CRFFN’s statutory mandate, but questioning the legal basis for imposing a uniform freight service charge across the sector. In a statement by its President, Mr. Frank Ogunojemite, APFFLON recognised the policy’s good intentions—promoting transparency, standardisation, and professionalism, but highlighted the challenges of stakeholder buy-in and enforcement.
“Without broad consultations, consensus-building, and a clearly defined enforcement framework, the policy risks resistance and further regulatory disputes,” Ogunojemite warned. He called for a more inclusive and collaborative approach involving all key stakeholders and government agencies to ensure that any standardised charge regime is legally sound, economically realistic, and widely accepted.
The CRFFN’s proposed framework, unveiled earlier by Mr Igwe, seeks to harmonise freight forwarding charges, which currently range between 8 and 22 per cent of total transaction costs. The Council has also proposed a digital platform to automatically calculate applicable service charges based on declared cargo and transaction details, giving shippers visibility and protecting freight forwarders from regulatory suspicion. The roll-out is slated for before the end of the first quarter of 2026, pending final alignment with relevant government authorities.
