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The Board-In-Council of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has addressed what it described as “unnecessary disturbances” by four rival freight forwarding associations.
The press release was triggered by a joint press conference held on July 18, 2024, by the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN), National Association of Freight Forwarders and Consolidators (NAFFAC), and the National Council of Managing Directors and Licensed Customs Agents (NCMDLCA), following a court ruling challenging the authority of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN).
NAGAFF expressed disappointment that the four associations publicly aligned themselves with the May 26, 2025 judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Lagos in favour of Mr. Lucky Eyis Amiwero, factional President of NCMDLCA. The judgment held that licensed customs agents should not fall under the regulation of CRFFN and that the collection of Practitioners Operating Fees (POF) from them was illegal.
However, the CRFFN has since appealed the ruling, filed a stay of execution, and served relevant legal documents on the plaintiff. NAGAFF contended that the judgment is not binding until the appellate court makes a final pronouncement and criticized the splinter groups for prematurely leveraging the ruling for political advantage.
Adding to the drama, Mr. Amiwero himself publicly distanced his legal efforts from the four associations, referring to them as “strange bedfellows” and accusing them of attempting to reap where they did not sow. His sharp rebuke, NAGAFF argued, further exposed the groups as disjointed and opportunistic.
According to NAGAFF, the silence of these associations in the face of Amiwero’s caustic comments reveals their lack of strategic understanding and integrity. The organization accused them of eroding their credibility and dragging the freight forwarding profession into disrepute.
The statement also delved into ANLCA’s long-standing opposition to the CRFFN Act, accusing the association of trying to kill the bill during its legislative stages. NAGAFF recalled how ANLCA pushed for a rival bill to replace the CRFFN framework and tried to assert a monopoly over licensed customs agents.
NAGAFF also pointed fingers at alleged irregularities during the 2008 CRFFN Governing Council election, in which Amiwero participated and lost. The group said that despite the glaring anomalies, they allowed the Council to proceed with its work for the sake of progress, while Amiwero continued to protest the outcome for nearly two decades.
The group outlined two major declarations made in Amiwero’s successful court case: that licensed customs agents are not freight forwarders, and that CRFFN cannot legally collect POF from them. NAGAFF argued these declarations only serve to embolden non-compliant actors and destabilize regulatory processes.
NAGAFF accused the splinter groups of attempting to frustrate the appointment of Mr. Kingsley Igwe as CRFFN Registrar, alleging the real reason was his former affiliation with NAGAFF. Despite the resistance, NAGAFF praised Mr. Igwe for his professionalism and innovation since assuming office.
The association emphasized that it holds a numerical and intellectual advantage in the freight forwarding industry. According to the release, NAGAFF accounts for over 80% of practicing freight forwarders in Nigeria, most of whom continue to support the CRFFN and pay their statutory POF.
The group urged the authorities to ignore the antics of the splinter groups and instead allow CRFFN to carry out its mandate as provided by law. They went as far as suggesting that these groups may be acting as proxies for individuals determined to undermine government revenue collection efforts.
NAGAFF also claimed that some of the associations have historically failed to fulfill their statutory obligations to CRFFN, including payment of membership dues. It was only when NAGAFF attempted to join the suit against the CRFFN Registrar that these associations rushed to update their records.
Another point of contention raised in the statement is the use of outdated nomenclature by ANLCA and NCMDLCA. NAGAFF said the repeal of the Customs and Excise Management Act (CEMA) invalidates these groups’ traditional labels and advised them to adopt the new “Customs Representatives” title under the Nigeria Customs Service Act 2023.
The association warned that failure to comply with lawful obligations, such as POF payment, constitutes a statutory offense. It urged the authorities to take the activities of these associations seriously and treat them as potential threats to government revenue.
In a separate development, NAGAFF hinted at ongoing rumors about planned petitions against the CRFFN management. The group warned such individuals to back down or risk the exposure of damaging information it claimed to possess.
The statement called on the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, H.E. Adegboyega Oyetola, to consider deregistering the four dissenting associations and ask the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to revoke their certificates for sabotaging national interests.
The release also suggested that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may soon probe the CRFFN’s financial records, a prospect that is causing panic among former Council members hoping to return.
Despite the turbulence, NAGAFF reaffirmed its total support for Mr. Kingsley Igwe, passing a vote of confidence in his leadership and commending his contributions to stabilizing the freight forwarding sector within a short period in office.
The association urged all freight forwarders to remain professional and fully compliant with regulatory obligations. It emphasized that two primary legal frameworks now govern freight forwarding in Nigeria: the CRFFN Act 2007 and the NCS Act 2023.
