Five major clearing and freight forwarding groups operating in the nation’s seaports are heading on a collision course with the potential consequences of breaching relative peace and tranquility the maritime industry had witnessed thus far.
The dramatis personae involved in the squabble are the Association of Nigerian Licensed Clearing Agents (ANLCA), National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), National Council of Managing Directors, Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), Association of Registered Freight Forwarders, and the National Association of Air Freight Forwarders and Consolidators.
The remote cause of the simmering crisis is linked to unbridled leadership tussle leading to calls by the National President of NAGAFF for the deregistration of the other four groups currently not in support of the current leadership of Council for the Registration of Freight Forwarders in Nigeria (CRFFN).
CRFFN is the government agency charged with the regulation of the freight forwarding industry in Nigeria, with Mr. Kingsley Igwe as it’s current Registrar.
Inside sources who are familiar with the development told our correspondent that the four groups are opposed to the election of the Registrar perceived to be a member of NAGAFF.
Dismissing the allegation at a media briefing on Lagos, NAGAFF’s National President, Chief Tochukwu Ezisi described the opposition by the four coalising groups as ‘political vendetta’ against the Registrar.
The NAGAFF President who called for the delisting of the four rival freight forwarding associations, accused them of regulatory sabotage, hypocrisy, and political vendetta against the council.
He demanded the immediate deregistration of the four groups and warned against a calculated attempt to derail federal government reforms in the maritime sector, saying NAGAFF could no longer remain silent as the freight forwarding profession is dragged into disrepute by ‘a cabal of opportunistic actors’ hiding behind a court judgment obtained by Mr. Lucky Amiwero of NCMDLCA.
He accused the four CRFFN accredited associations of seizing the judgement to undermine the council despite being well aware that the Council had appealed the ruling and filed a stay of execution.
‘It is ironic and shameful that Mr. Amiwero himself, who secured the judgment, has disassociated from the manner in which these associations are now exploiting it. This alone exposes their opportunism, lack of consistency, and political desperation’, Ezisi declared.
The NAGAFF President remarked to the public that ANLCA in particular, has a long history of hostility towards the CRFFN, including efforts to push a counter-bill in the National Assembly aimed at rendering the Council ineffective.
He noted that several past CRFFN elections were challenged in court by the same actors, a pattern which he described as ‘a consistent rebellion against regulatory order’.
According to Ezisi, the latest crisis has nothing to do with the rule of law or professional integrity. Instead, it is being driven by resentment over the appointment of a former Secretary of NAGAFF, Mr. Kingsley Igwe, as Registrar of CRFFN.
‘His emergence is not the legal problem they claim; it is their political headache. They have failed to stop him professionally, so now they have turned to litigation as a weapon of vendetta’, he stated.
He went further to urge the Federal Government to launch a comprehensive investigation into what he described as economic and regulatory sabotage being masked as activism by the dissenting associations.
‘These associations have continually failed in their statutory financial obligations to the council, yet they are the loudest voices questioning its legitimacy. Their credibility is in tatters, and their actions are grossly irresponsible’, Ezisi said.
The NAGAFF President also raised concerns about outdated operational structures, stressing that both ANLCA and NCMDLCA must urgently reform themselves to comply with the provisions of the new Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023, saying ‘you cannot continue to benefit from a regulatory system that you constantly undermine and attempt to destroy’.
To this end, he called on the CRFFN to consider deregistering the four associations and formally request the Corporate Affairs Commission to withdraw their certificates of incorporation.
He maintained that this drastic measure is necessary to safeguard national interest and restore order within the freight forwarding sector.
Amid the calls, Ezisi however offered glowing tributes to the current leadership of CRFFN under Igwe, describing his performance as exceptional so far, in less than a year in office.
He noted that Igwe had significantly diversified the Council’s funding sources beyond the Practitioner Operating Fee, launched the training of 1,000 freight forwarders in 2025 with 300 already successfully trained and introduced vital digital reforms.
‘We pass a vote of absolute confidence in Mr. Igwe’s leadership and applaud the support of the Hon. Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, CON.
‘This administration is restoring professionalism and national service to freight forwarding in Nigeria. NAGAFF will remain committed to the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, Ezisi said.
