The Sea Empowerment and Research Centre(SEREC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola to urgently constitute the Governing Council of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding Practice in Nigeria (CRFFN).
The call came while it applauded the President and the Minister for inaugurating the Governing Board of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council(NSC) on Monday in Abuja.
This was stated in a press release signed by Dr. Eugene Nweke, Head of Research, SEREC.
Recall that since the inception of the present administration in 2023, the CRFFN has operated without a Governing Council, contrary to the clear provisions of the CRFFN Act No. 16 of 2007.
The continued reliance on an “existing court case” as justification for suspending statutory governance at the CRFFN undermines regulatory consistency and defeats the spirit and intent of the Renewed Hope Agenda.
SEREC noted that freight forwarding and logistics service provision occupy a critical position in Nigeria’s trade facilitation, port efficiency, revenue assurance, and overall logistics ecosystem.
It added that weak or incomplete professional regulation in this sub-sector directly contributes to high cost of doing business, operational inefficiencies, and reduced global competitiveness.
The recent inauguration of the NSC Board clearly demonstrates that effective governance structures are indispensable for regulatory institutions to deliver on their mandates.
In the same vein, activating the CRFFN Governing Council is essential to restoring professionalism, strengthening compliance, and aligning freight forwarding practice with national economic and maritime policy objectives, including the National Single Window initiative and port reforms.
SEREC therefore urged the Federal Government to ensure uniform application of statutory governance across all maritime institutions, by promptly constituting the CRFFN Governing Council in line with its enabling Act.
This step will significantly enhance trade facilitation outcomes, support the development of the Marine and Blue Economy, and reinforce confidence in Nigeria’s ongoing maritime sector reforms.
