(3 minutes read)
Domestic freight forwarders have expressed apprehensions about being put under unfair competition from their counterparts from foreign countries. According to them, they are outwitted by freight forwarders from India, China, Korea, and Lebanon currently. They allege that the freight forwarders from these countries nearly monopolized the entire maritime trade
Domestic freight forwarders have expressed apprehensions about being put under unfair competition from their counterparts from foreign countries. According to them, they are outwitted by freight forwarders from India, China, Korea, and Lebanon currently. They allege that the freight forwarders from these countries nearly monopolized the entire maritime trade. This situation the domestic players realize is mostly due to a lack of understanding among local freight forwarders. They also feel that discord among them poses a threat to Nigerians’ participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement.
The former Interim President, of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Ujubuonu Pius, said foreigners dominate Nigeria’s trade from point of manufacture, logistics to clearance at the port of loading and clearance at the port of the discharge, local logistics to the warehouse of the importer and even open windows for retail.
He said the threat to the freight forwarders in Nigeria is multi-dimensional, internal and external. Many fragmented associations and groups speaking and working cross purposes have given room for foreign domination of the business in the country. Pius said the discordance among the freight forwarders is unhealthy for advocacy to save the business from foreign invasion.
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The National Secretary of the Association of Registered Freight Forwarders of Nigeria (AREFFN), Obiekezie Francis, agreed and says foreigners are aware of the little or non-existent cohesion among the freight forwarding associations and are poised to exploit it to the hilt. He said while no association can do it alone, there is an urgent need for the indigenous freight forwarding community to close ranks in the interest of their trade generally and that of the budding forwarders, in particular.
