Be More of Professionals, Stop Threatening to Shut Ports, Hassan Bello Tells Freight Forwarders
BELLO, ANIEBONAM, EZISI AND OTHERS AT THE 24TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION..
• As NAGAFF Founder, President charge agencies on ports efficiency, competitiveness
By Francis Ugwoke
Former Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello, has advised freight forwarders to do everything to promote professionalism and play down on the issues of association politics.
Noting that there is a difference between the two, Bello pointed out that as core professionals, freight forwarders should not be seen as threatening to shut down ports, an action that is capable of affecting ease of doing business.
Bello who was Chairman of the 24th Anniversary and Award Ceremony of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), said that as professionals, freight forwarders should instead promote trade facilitation at all times.
He added that as professionals, freight forwarders should be seen as encouraging the opening of the ports for business instead of enforcing threat to close the ports on flimsy excuses.
He told the freight forwarders that they do not just represent their importers alone but also Nigeria by their active involvement in their jobs.
According to him, freight forwarders remain indispensable in Nigerian economy because of the strategic role they play as professionals.
Bello also advised freight forwarders to embrace continued education among themselves and should not be complacent.
Bello also called on the freight forwarders to pay attention on exports instead of imports, adding that exports will help grow the nation’s economy.
The National President of NAGAFF, Chief Emmanuel Tochukwu Ezisi, had on the occasion urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), and other relevant government agencies to ensure that the operating environment in the ports become efficient and competitive.
Ezisi in his welcome address on the occasion said the agencies should ensure that Nigerian ports can compete with other global ports in terms of standard.
According to him, Nigerian ports will attract more cargo flow if issues of inefficiencies and Customs operations are addressed.
He identified some of the issues in ports operations as “port charges, arbitrary hikes in duty, illegal activities of non-state actors within and around the port’s terminals”.
Other issues, he pointed out, include proliferation of agencies which according to him, contributes to delays in cargo-clearing and challenges faced by truck drivers in accessing terminal gates and loading.
Ezisi said his association after 24 years has contributed in a big way to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in areas of a payment of duties, levies, and Practitioners Operating Fees (POF) accrued to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, in his speech said that the association was established to liberate freight forwarders from oppression.
Aniebonam added that it was to encourage professionalism in freight forwarding that made him to also sponsor the bill to establish the Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
He said that those who opposed the bill were now benefitting from it, adding that though CRFFN may not be working as planned, there is still hope of improvement.
By Francis Ugwoke
Former Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Barr. Hassan Bello, has advised freight forwarders to do everything to promote professionalism and play down on the issues of association politics.
Noting that there is a difference between the two, Bello pointed out that as core professionals, freight forwarders should not be seen as threatening to shut down ports, an action that is capable of affecting ease of doing business.
Bello who was Chairman of the 24th Anniversary and Award Ceremony of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), said that as professionals, freight forwarders should instead promote trade facilitation at all times.
He added that as professionals, freight forwarders should be seen as encouraging the opening of the ports for business instead of enforcing threat to close the ports on flimsy excuses.
He told the freight forwarders that they do not just represent their importers alone but also Nigeria by their active involvement in their jobs.
According to him, freight forwarders remain indispensable in Nigerian economy because of the strategic role they play as professionals.
Bello also advised freight forwarders to embrace continued education among themselves and should not be complacent.
Bello also called on the freight forwarders to pay attention on exports instead of imports, adding that exports will help grow the nation’s economy.
The National President of NAGAFF, Chief Emmanuel Tochukwu Ezisi, had on the occasion urged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), and other relevant government agencies to ensure that the operating environment in the ports become efficient and competitive.
Ezisi in his welcome address on the occasion said the agencies should ensure that Nigerian ports can compete with other global ports in terms of standard.
According to him, Nigerian ports will attract more cargo flow if issues of inefficiencies and Customs operations are addressed.
He identified some of the issues in ports operations as “port charges, arbitrary hikes in duty, illegal activities of non-state actors within and around the port’s terminals”.
Other issues, he pointed out, include proliferation of agencies which according to him, contributes to delays in cargo-clearing and challenges faced by truck drivers in accessing terminal gates and loading.
Ezisi said his association after 24 years has contributed in a big way to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in areas of a payment of duties, levies, and Practitioners Operating Fees (POF) accrued to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Okechukwu Aniebonam, in his speech said that the association was established to liberate freight forwarders from oppression.
Aniebonam added that it was to encourage professionalism in freight forwarding that made him to also sponsor the bill to establish the Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
He said that those who opposed the bill were now benefitting from it, adding that though CRFFN may not be working as planned, there is still hope of improvement.
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