By Innocent Orok
A foremost Customs Broker and Maritme Consultant, Dr Kayode Farinto, who is also former Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA) and ex-board member of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), has endorsed the recent appointment of a new substantive registrar by the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
In a recent chat with our correspondent, Dr Farinto highlighted the legality of the appointment, asserting that the authority given to the Minister to oversee CRFFN includes making such key appointments in the absence of a governing board.
Drawing from Act 17 of 2007, Dr Farinto explained that the CRFFN Act empowers the Minister to supervise the Council’s operations. “Since the appointment is from the Honorable Minister, it is legal, and I believe it followed due process,” he affirmed. He further pointed out that the appointee is a registered freight forwarder, familiar with industry dynamics, dismissing criticisms based on regional or personal affiliations.
“I don’t believe in sentiments. I believe in who can work, who can perform,” he stated, expressing optimism that the new registrar’s knowledge of the industry would enhance CRFFN’s ability to address ongoing challenges.
Despite his approval of the appointment, Farinto also stressed the need to reinstate the suspended CRFFN board members, whose absence he believes has impeded the Council’s operations.
“The board must return to finish our tenure,” he stated, calling on the registrar to advocate for the board’s reconstitution. Farinto suggested that only a full board could enable the Council to fulfill its mandate effectively.
While applauding the new registrar’s potential, Farinto voiced concerns about challenges within the industry that he attributes to the absence of a permanent leader at CRFFN. “The previous acting registrar was limited by her interim status,” he said, adding that many tasks require a substantive leader with the authority to drive substantial changes.
He also advocated for more substantial stakeholders involvement in future reforms, including revisiting the composition of the CRFFN board, where currently 17 out of 22 members are government appointees.
Farinto argued that this disproportionate representation dilutes the board’s core purpose: the advancement of freight forwarding. “Most of the government representatives do not have expertise in freight forwarding,” he remarked. He called for an amendment to the CRFFN Act that would reduce governmental presence on the board, giving greater representation to active freight forwarders who understand the industry’s challenges.
The ANLCA chieftain further suggested that expanding the pool of recognized freight forwarding associations would enhance the Council’s influence and collaboration.
“We need to look beyond the traditional five associations and bring in new, innovative groups that are contributing to the sector,” he asserted. This inclusion, he said, would foster a broader dialogue and more effective solutions to the sector’s issues.
In his assessment of the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Farinto noted that while the NSC has made progress, more must be done to protect the interests of Nigerian importers. He proposed that the NSC be empowered to collect a percentage of surcharges imposed by shipping companies, creating a funding stream that would support industry regulation.
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