The Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) has decided to ensure standardization of FIATA (International Federation of Freight Forwarders Associations) programmes in indigenous institutions to keep students abreast with trending global standards.
CRFFN reached this decision to create uniform standards in freight forwarding institutions during a recent meeting it held with representatives of accredited freight forwarding institutions at the CRFFN Headquarters, Apapa.
Mr. Ifeanyi Chukwu Joseph, Deputy Director/ Head of Research, Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) stressed that since freight forwarding is an international business, Nigerian freight forwarders ought to be on par with their counterparts around the world.
“Today businesses are online, transactions are online and technology keeps evolving. That is why amongst our accredited courses there is a strong element of ICT because we discovered that if one isn’t ICT compliant he will be left behind. Freight forwarders need a lot of education hence the need for uniformity of standards and be updated with ICT”, Mr. Ifeanyi explained.
He described the freight forwarding business before the emergence of CRFFN as a business for all manner of people whether trained or not as there were no standards. The problem became the statutorily assignment for CRFFN to train freight forwarders and raise the standards to make freight forwarding as a profession an international affair.
“We have invited FIATA trainers from Abroad to train people from several institutions and we today is the results and that is why we are excited to have these grandaunts. We want everyone to be involved in making it a grand occasion so people will know we mean business when we talk about training of freight forwarders because we are out to sanitize the industry and the key is to train people to be professionals”, he added.
A committee was also set-up at the meeting to plan for the maiden graduation ceremony for students who have concluded the FIATA programmes.
Meanwhile Professor Abimaje Akpa representing Benue State University at the meeting emphasized the need to train indigenous freight forwarders to meet the peculiar needs and challenges in Nigeria.
“Most countries are now looking inwards because education must be environment relevant. Each country has its needs which must be met by its education. Our programmes need to have local relevance even if it meets the global standards because the scenario and peculiarities of the freight forwarding profession in Nigeria differs from the system abroad”, Prof. Akpa posited.
By Kenneth Jukpor
