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Dr. Alban Igwe is a Multimodal Transport Consultant and Director General of Dangerous Goods Academy. He is equally the Principal Consultant, Etcetera Consults Limited and previously served as Director, Education and Training at the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN). In this exclusive interview with News Diet magazine, Igwe speaks on several pertinent issues ranging from dangerous goods carriage to container insurance law and other freight forwarding concerns. Excerpts:
Tell us about the Dangerous Goods framework; what does it represent in shipping?
Although Nigeria is a signatory to dangerous goods conventions by road, by air and by sea, many people are still ignorant of them. I strongly suspect that many people are dying young because of overexposure to some dangerous goods. My mission is to heal and address that ignorance. Just as doctors heal sicknesses, I heal ignorance. The reality is that both can kill; ignorance kills and sickness kills.
We just concluded a two-day discussion on container insurance law, and I think you will agree with me that the carriage of dangerous goods and the type of pallets or structures used to convey them can, to a large extent, determine how safe the operation will be. From my experience and from my deep interest in dangerous goods management, this issue is very significant, both for current practice and for future compliance with Nigerian law.
One thing is to put regulations in place; another thing is to understand the nuances of those regulations. I can tell you without reservation that the new insurance law, Nigerian Insurance Industry Reform Act (NIIRA) 2025 is good, but I can also tell you that those who drafted it, about 90 per cent of them, are not aware of the dangerous goods regime. Indeed, the insurance industry has exclusion clauses for almost everything related to dangerous goods. In effect, they do not cover dangerous goods, which is bad news.
Now, the United Nations recognises that although dangerous goods are risky, they are needed in the system. Some of them are raw materials, and some are essential inputs for industry. The conventions on dangerous goods are not meant to prohibit their transportation or storage, but to educate us on how to handle them safely.
So when the insurance industry excludes dangerous goods, it means they recognise the risk as enormous, yet they still allow such risks to exist without adequate coverage. That is a discussion for another day. I think we need to engage them, just as I am also engaging the National Single Window (NSW) initiative, because dangerous goods must be captured within the entire spectrum of trade and logistics.
Generally speaking, this two-day discussion was very good for us because it helps to capture what happens in the industry as far as import and export are concerned. It creates an opportunity for digitalisation, for identifying what is being moved. Lack of digitalisation means that many things happen underneath the system and are not captured. This arrangement brings everything into one basket. As goods pass through the Single Window, we will know what they are, where they are, and how to address the risks they bring – not just financial risks, but health and environmental risks that could lead to disasters.
Nigeria has launched a national policy on the Marine and Blue Economy, does this policy make any provision for dangerous goods carriage?
At the public presentation of the Marine and Blue Economy Policy, I made a remark before the Minister, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola that the policy is incomplete without provisions for dangerous goods. I promised that my organisation would provide an addendum or annex to the policy, even as the nation has secured a seat on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Governing Council for Category C status.
The IMDG Code is domiciled with the IMO, and safety is paramount in transportation. I therefore promised the Minister that my organisation would provide a formal addendum to the policy. I have submitted a proposed annex and I am still waiting for action. I also proposed that there should be awareness training for major stakeholders to sensitise and awaken people, because dangerous goods will always remain dangerous, whether we like it or not.
There is also growing concern that Nigeria is being flooded with expired containers, a matter freight forwarders have raised for years. What is your view on this, especially in relation to insurance and safety?
This concern is very valid. One way forward is for Nigeria to begin owning its own containers. That should be the next agenda. We can build containers locally and it is not rocket science. We can build containers for importers and exporters and create a market for them.
In the dangerous goods sector, some containers are specially approved by the United Nations for conveying hazardous materials. Unfortunately, no one in Nigeria is currently building such containers. Yet there are containers designed specifically for flammable liquids or corrosive substances, which can contain and reduce their risks. Nigeria still imports all of these.
This project can be the starting point for building local capacity. Today, we are talking about collapsible and foldable containers that are more commercially friendly. This opens a window for innovation, not only in container manufacturing but also in trucking. Many of the trucks on Nigerian roads are outdated and not properly fitted or secured. We can renew the system with modern, energy-efficient trucks to reduce pollution and improve safety.
All of these issues directly affect the maritime sector. So I see this initiative as step one in the right direction.
Lastly, how would you describe the reactions of insurance as well as freight forwarding stakeholders at the recent seminar on container insurance?
The stakeholders are yearning for solutions to container indemnity and deposit issues, and they see this initiative as a viable option. Everyone is positive about the outcome. They all want to get involved, particularly the insurance sector. They want their voices heard early so that they can contribute meaningfully and ensure that all issues are properly addressed.
That is the essence of a stakeholder meeting. It is not something you conclude in advance; it is called to gather viewpoints, additional insights and perspectives from all parties. From my perspective, that objective was well achieved.
