Expert urges Shippers Council, CRFFN Collaboration for better performance

By Dapo Olawuni

A maritime expert and former president of National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) Dr. Eugene Nweke has urged the Nigerian Shippers Council to collaborate with the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) in order to bring about the needed professionalism in the freight forwarding profession.

Nweke in a position paper sent to our correspondent noted that there is need for the Shippers Council to beam its regulatory searchlight on the freight forwarding associations in the country, alleging that some of them actually aid and abet shipping companies and terminals in setting arbitrary charges at the port.

He however cautioned that the Shippers Council cannot do this on its own except it partners with the CRFFN.

He said “To date, in the Nigeria Port System several unwholesome practices, cartels, price fixing or arbitrariness, persists”

“The Nigeria Shippers Council saddle with the obligation of protecting the interests of the Shippers, had over the years, even before its elevation status as the port economic regulator, partnered with both Freight Forwarding Associations and other concerned bodies to achieve a firm regulatory regime that will usher a competitive and business friendly port industry, but still suffers sets back, with regards to this quests”

“Freight Forwarding, Shipping Lines, Terminal Operators, Haulage Associations, Firms, etc, may actually lacks the professional capacity and administrative will to effectively regulate their members on matters of professional, arbitrary price fixing and connivance thereof, at times most of the Freight Forwarding Associations and Firms are actually culpable and are party promoting such trends”

“The Nigeria Shippers Council has a duty to sustain its relationship with the Association, but has to collaborate with the Council For The Regulation Of Freight Forwarding Practices In Nigeria – CRFFN, in its current bids to evolve a regime of professionally trained, regulatable ( sanctionable) Freight Forwarding Practices In Nigeria”

“A Freight Forwarding regulatory Council has all it takes to compel the professionals to make their clients comply with trade laws, once there is a level playing field and uniformity of practice. No professional likes living all his or her life giving bribes”

“The Council stands to attain a milestone in its economic regulatory functions in the port industry, first it has to review its present approach to collaborations”

“Collaborations are meant to achieve strategic results in the long run. Again, the need to show enforcement capacity is key. Getting the Forwarders properly regulated is the core step to engendering an effective regulatory regime in the port industry” Nweke stated