Chairman, Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) Mr. Hakeem Olanrewaju,recently in Abuja bemoaned the falling standards of port facilities.

Olanrewaju, who disclosed this to newsmen at a forum said that there was need to improve most of the equipment used by port concessionaires.

The freight forwarder said the port concessionaires were still using mostly old cargo equipment (cargo-handling plants) handed over to them by the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA).

He said the concessionaires needed to improve the equipment to make cargo movement faster and easier.

Olanrewaju said the council was already focusing on the training of freight forwarders to make them more acceptable to the society as many regarded freight forwarders as school dropouts or as people with criminal tendencies.

He commended the Federal Government for embarking on port reforms, stressing that the training of freight forwarders who were major players at the ports would impact positively on the nation’s economy.

He said it was strongly believed that CRFFN’s achievements in the freight forwarding regulation and control would, among other things, reduce the cost and delays in cargo clearance and minimise human and vehicular congestion at ports and terminals.

According to him, a functional port system will promote export trade and enhance the import-export economy of Nigeria.

The CRFFN would want government to sustain its commitment to the development of efficient freight forwarding industry by giving the council the much-needed support to exercising her statutory functions and responsibilities set out for the council, he said.

Olarenwaju said that it was the council’s belief that good planning and strategy could help turn the fortunes of the sub-sector around and reposition the nation’s ports and borders as efficient regional hubs of integrity.

A virile port system would create job opportunities and raise more entrepreneurs, Olanrewaju said.