Segment-2 Report: NAGAFF President outlines achievements of association in 19years …Lauds Aniebonam on exemplary leadership

Segment-2 Report:

NAGAFF President outlines achievements of association in 19 years

.Lauds Aniebonam on exemplary leadership

By Udeme Clement

The President, National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, Chief Increase Uche, said the Association has recorded remarkable performance in maritime sector of Nigeria’s economy in the last 19 years of existence.

He made this known in his speech, at the 2018 Freight Forwarders Day celebration, organised by NAGAFF to mark its 19 years of  operations in the port industry.

Chief Uche also commended the Founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, for his vision and zeal in taking the Association to greater heights of recognition, even as he described him as exemplary leader.

 His words, “Special recognition must also be given to the founder of NAGAFF for initiating, spearheading and co-sponsoring the CRFFN Bill, until its passage into an ACT of the National Assembly, ACT No. 16 of 2007.

“Today, we have a Council, which regulates our profession and has also placed us at par with other notable professions.

“In furtherance to accomplishing the FIATA module on providing information service to members, the Association re-established a Radio programme tagged, ‘NAGAFF Cargo Watch’ on Radio-One, 103.5FM, which comes up a 11.30am every Friday.

“This arrangement was to replace the former NAGAFF Cargo Watch programme on TV, which was initially suspended, as a result of poor management.

“The NAGAFF Public Policy Advocacy has been a veritable tool that formed the pillars, which propelled the Association into contributing immensely to growth of the entire Transport and Logistics Supply Chain in the country.

“Through this platform, NAGAFF has successfully sustained its advocacy in drawing the attention of government to the need, to leverage on the realities of the globalised world in conveying the desired industry transformation programmes, through deliberate and constant innovation in the industry.

“Some of the popular areas where NAGAFF made its marks include advocacy on the need to review and amend the CEMA, as well as other laws governing international trade practice, to unbundle the subsisting archaic cargo clearance process.

“NAGAFF made the first move to the Oba of Badagry, to embrace the establishment of a deep sea port at Badagry, in April 2000. The initiative was to make our ports more competitive, attractive and for our shippers to benefit from the current economic of scale in maritime transportation.

“Establishment of NAGAFF academy, which is in affiliation with the Redeemers University, where a good number of NAGAFF members were trained and are still being trained in line with the FIATA/TIACA standards. Through this training outfit, NAGAFF has been able to set the sub –sector on the path of professionalism and spurred the practitioners with ambition to consistently seek knowledge in freight forwarding and transport logistics related subjects.

“Enlightenment campaigns to check the menace of port congestion, in order to reduce delays and make our ports user friendly. NAGAFF maintains excellent collaboration with CRFFN, Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Nigeria Customs Service, Standards Organisation of Nigeria, Police, Nigerian Ports Authority, Lagos Chamber of Commerce, AMATO and other sister associations.

“Participation in various government committees on trade and reforms on maritime related matters, including recent Technical Committee on the review and harmonisation of Maritime bills, as well as Ease of Doing Business reform at the ports.

“At present, NAGAFF is duly accredited by CRFFN with registration No. 002. The Association currently has over 7,000 registered members spread across the six geopolitical zones, covering more than 20 chapters with contact addresses and viable secretariats.”

 Segment-2 Report:

This is the segment-2 report on NAGAFF 19th anniversary and 2018 Freight Forwarders day celebration, organised by the association in Lagos.