The Sea Empowerment and Research Center (SEREC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently intervene in Nigeria’s freight forwarding sector, warning that regulatory failure and internal conflicts are threatening the stability of the entire maritime logistics system.
In an open letter addressed to the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, by Head of Research at SEREC , Fwdr Eugene Nweke, warns that the freight logistics industry is on the brink of collapse unless immediate reforms are enacted.
The letter follows renewed calls by the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) to deregister several associations, including ANLCA, NAFFAC, AREFF, and NCMDLCA.
Nweke argues that it reveals a deeper crisis one rooted in years of mismanagement, internal power struggles, and what he describes as the hijacking of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) by personal and political interests.
He said that the industry is trapped in regulatory instability, poor representation, and a lack of accountability and called the situation a direct threat to trade efficiency, national security, and government revenue.
Citing the CRFFN Act 16 of 2007, Nweke urges the Minister to invoke his oversight authority to rescue the sector through a full-scale investigation, restructuring of the CRFFN, and a long overdue amendment to the governing legislation currently stuck at the National Assembly.
The letter also emphasised the urgent need to revisit and review the CRFFN’s regulatory framework, arguing that its current structure is ineffective and no longer aligned with the realities of the industry.
According to SEREC, there is a pressing need for the Ministry to reestablish stability within the freight forwarding space and create an enabling environment for practitioners to operate efficiently, free from political manipulation or regulatory uncertainty.
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