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As Nigeria pursues sweeping reforms in its maritime and logistics sector, Mr. Kingsley Igwe, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), shares his perspectives on the policies shaping the industry’s future.
In this exclusive interview with News Diet correspondent, Imisioluwa Afunmiso, he speaks on the National Single Window, digital transformation, freight forwarding professionalism, AfCFTA, and Nigeria’s ambition to become a leading logistics hub in West and Central Africa.
Records show that Nigeria doesn’t seem to have a transport policy problem but an execution problem. What would you say has been the problem, and how are you working to bridge the gap from a freight forwarders perspective?
We can speak to what is within the industry. When it comes to policy implementation, it’s a general problem in nature. But this current government have been doing a lot to close that gap, to reduce it. The typical example is deliberate efforts to ensure that policies that are being developed by any agency are implemented. In the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy, there is already the National Policy on Marine and Blue Economy.
The next stage now is designing and developing the roadmap for the implementation, which is ongoing. So, we are already solving the problem within the ministry.
At the agency level, every agency is mandated to play a role. We all have part of that policy that concerns our respective agencies. And based on the performance bond signing which the agencies sign with the Minister, the implementation roadmap has taken consideration of those areas that affect each agency. Our primary focus area is what forms our KPIs (key performance indicators). At the end of the year, the question is how much of this policy have you been able to implement? So, that is being taken care of under the marine and blue economy already.
One of the biggest concerns in the freight forwarding industry is the proliferation of unqualified practitioners. How is CRFFN tackling the issue of professionalism, certification, and ethical standards among freight forwarders?
Unauthorized or unqualified operators means they are not approved, certified, and licensed. At CRFFN, we have come up with policy to admit only those that are being licensed.
This year, you might not see the completion of it, but from next year, because the National Single Window (NSC) that has just been launched, from next year, you will see much of those unauthorized operators either being redirected to do the needful for them to be properly licensed, or out of business because of the policies that have been put in place.
With 2027 elections only months away, do you have concerns that the change in government would affect this policy and other ongoing projects from being implemented?
Government administration changes but governance is a continuum. It doesn’t affect anything. However, it all depends. There are always political factors, there’s always economic factors, and it depends on the factor that may be affecting it at that time based on the new government’s approach. But ordinarily, the policies drafted in one regime is always valid and should ideally be continuous.
Global freight forwarding is increasingly driven by digital platforms, automation, and artificial intelligence. How is CRFFN preparing Nigerian freight forwarders for this technological shift?
We are digitalizing operations in CRFFN already. Most of our operations are going digital and with time, because it’s not only the freight forwarding sector that is going digital, virtually all aspects of life today – technology has taken over. It’s either you catch up or you lose out. So that is why one of our targets and key focus is on digitization and standardization of freight forwarding services.
At CRFFN, we’ve already started it. Today, we have a robust platform that we can use to interface with stakeholders. Even though they are still working from home, we’ve started it, but we know that in the next two years, we might not have any business with manual operations.
What is the single biggest policy change Nigeria must implement immediately to unlock its logistics and trade potential?
Nigeria has already implemented that single policy, which is the implementation of the National Single Window (NSW). The implementation of the NSW brings all stakeholders in the industry under one platform. This is the only reform policy that can transform our biggest concerns to the ports which are to reduce logistics costs, remove arbitrary charges and to improve overall efficiency. However, there is a need to be patient with the NSW because it is still new. People’s attitude will always work against it, especially those who will deliberately resist change. Nonetheless, that is being managed.
The NSW system itself, being new, needs constant upgrades or updates. So from time to time, there might not be that adequate 100% efficiency that is anticipated. For a start, operating with the NSW up to the degree of 80 to 85 percent should be appreciated and as long as everybody is committed to doing the right thing; we should be able to attain and maintain 100 percent in no time.
Lastly, do you believe Nigeria is fully prepared to leverage the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), and what critical gaps still need to be addressed?
Nigeria has made significant progress in positioning itself to benefit from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), but there is still considerable work to be done. I would describe our level of preparedness as being around 50 to 60 per cent. We have laid important foundations, but achieving the full benefits of AfCFTA will require sustained investment and policy consistency.
AfCFTA creates access to a single African market of over 1.2 billion people, enabling the freer movement of goods, services, investment and capital across participating countries. To maximise these opportunities, every member state must faithfully implement the agreement and comply with its rules and protocols.
For Nigeria, one of the key strengths is our existing framework for issuing Certificates of Origin, which supports compliance with AfCFTA’s Rules of Origin. However, we must further strengthen border management, streamline customs and trade procedures, and eliminate operational bottlenecks that increase the cost of doing business.
Equally important is the need to accelerate investment in transport and logistics infrastructure. Efficient ports, road and rail connectivity, inland logistics facilities, and digital trade systems are essential if Nigeria is to compete effectively within the continental market.
Nigeria also has a strategic geographic advantage that positions it to become the leading logistics hub for West and Central Africa. Encouragingly, the ongoing port modernisation programmes by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), alongside the development of new port infrastructure in both the eastern and western corridors, demonstrate a strong commitment to expanding trade capacity.
These developments are positive indicators that Nigeria is moving in the right direction. However, continued reforms, improved infrastructure, efficient border operations, and strict adherence to AfCFTA rules will be critical to fully unlocking the opportunities presented by the agreement and strengthening Nigeria’s competitiveness across Africa.
