IN a bid to prevent low imports in the new year, the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), has urged the Federal Government to ensure a steady exchange rate policy in 2025.
This came just as the association described the recent appointment of Igwe Onyekachi as the new Registrar for the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), by the minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola.
APFFLON however promised that it would come up with developmental initiatives to support the new CRFFN Registrar to achieve his mandate for the sector.
The association has equally defended the airlines against any complicity in high airfares, which characterised most parts of 2024, and rather attributed the cut throats fares to the unbearable rise in the price of Jet A1.
Speaking in his new year message to members of the association, government agencies and the Federal Government, President, APFFLON, Otunba Frank Ogunjemite, among others revealed that while imports dropped drastically in the outgone year, customs duties on the contrary rose sharply within the period.
Ogunojemite challenged the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) as a leading agent in business chain in the port and land border to adhere strictly to the Act setting it up de-emphasis revenue generation over and above trade facilitation – seamless cargo transaction.
He expressed the optimism that with stable foreign exchange, cargo handling operations at airports, seaports and land borders would witness improvements in 2025.
While acknowledging that NCS performed well to a certain level in compliance with its Act to promote trade, Ogunojemite however added that there was still room for improvement in the new year.
His words: The service placed too much emphasis on revenue generation above trade facilitation and stakeholders engagement. Revenue generation is good, especially on promotion of export of our indigenous goods, this will definitely create a pool of funds for the government to provide infrastructure.
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“But this should not be at the detriment of international trade that generates the revenue. When there is a growth in international trade, the country will collect more revenue than what the customs collected in 2024.
“Government must create a friendly atmosphere, charge all other agencies to be focused and ensure steady exchange rate – for importers and exporters to thrive in 2025.”
Ogunojemite lamented incessant cargo seizures by the customs in 2024, maintaining that this was not helpful to the economy as the seized goods were given away by the government at ridiculous auction rates.
The APFFLON president, who blamed importers, freight forwarders, customs agents for non-compliance, warned them to desist from wrong declaration of their consignments.
He also appealed to the Federal Government to look into the high cost of shipments in and out of the country, ensuring that the country’s shipment costs competed favourably with neighboring countries.
Speaking on the high cost of air tickets, the APFFLON President insisted that the airlines were in business to make profits, but advised the Federal Government to reduce the price of jet fuel, arguing that this would certainly bring down passengers and cargo fares.
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