The President of the Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria, Frank Ogunojemite, has called on the Federal Government to ensure a steady exchange rate policy in 2025 in a bid to prevent low imports in the new year.
Ogunojemite noted that while imports dropped drastically in 2024, customs duties rose sharply within the period.
The association also absolved airlines of any complicity in high airfares, which characterised most parts of 2024, which it attributed to the incessant increase in the price of Jet A1.
He made these observations in his New Year message to its members, agencies, and the federal government.
He expressed optimism that with stable foreign exchange, cargo handling operations at airports, seaports, and land borders would witness improvements in 2025.
Ogunojemite, in his message, also challenged the Nigeria Customs Service, as a leading agent in the business chain in the port and land borders, to adhere strictly to the act setting it up and de-emphasise revenue generation over and above trade facilitation and seamless cargo transaction.
He said, “The service placed too much emphasis on revenue generation above trade facilitation and stakeholders’ engagement. Revenue generation is good, especially on the promotion of the export of our indigenous goods; this will definitely create a pool of funds for the government to provide infrastructure.
“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 a steady exchange rate—for importers and exporters to thrive in 2025.”
Ogunojemite, a seasoned freight forwarder, further expressed worries over incessant cargo seizures by the customs in 2024, which he said were not helpful to the economy as the seized goods were given away by the government at ridiculous auction prices.
On the appointment of a new registrar for the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria, the president reiterated that the appointment of Igwe Onyekachi by Adegboyega Oyetola, the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, was the best thing to happen to the freight forwarding sector.
He assured that APFFLON would come up with developmental initiatives to support the new CRFFN registrar to achieve his mandate for the sector.
