Business

Association Bemoans Malpractices By Freight Forwarders

Published

11 years ago

May 6, 2015

Maritime activities closed
on Thursday with the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) lamenting over declining port revenue caused by unethical practices by some inexperienced freight forwarders.
The President of NAGAFF, Dr. Eugene Nweke made the remark in an interview with The Tide source in Lagos.
“You will be surprised if you know the level of revenue lost by government as a result of some freight forwarders’ malpractices.
“When somebody is not informed, that person will lack what we call ethics and when there is no ethics, there is no professional conduct,” Nweke said.
He said that an uninformed practitioner would not be able to add value to the supply chain.
The NAGAFF president urged inexperienced freight forwarders to enrol for professional courses organised by the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) to boost their knowledge of the profession.
“There are ongoing sensitisation and enlightment of all freight forwarding practitioners by the CRFFN,’’ Nweke said.
During the week, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Alhaji Abdullahi Dikko called for synergy among regional customs organisations in the West and Central Africa, adding that the “reality of our time’’ had made such collaboration mandatory.
Dikko made the call at the opening ceremony of a three-day sub-regional meeting of the World Customs Organisation (WCO) on Wednesday in Abuja.
“With the dynamics of international trade and complex nature of border security, we must see ourselves as partners with other government agencies within and outside our borders.
“The reality of our time imposes on us the obligation of collaboration among all partner agencies of government; using Information Technology (IT) and various World Customs Organisation (WCO) tools as support,’’ the comptroller-general said.
Dikko spoke on the theme, “Coordinated Border Management, An Inclusive Approach To Connecting Stakeholders’’.
He said the Abuja meeting, which saw Nigeria, Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger brainstorming on a collaborative approach of combating cross-border terrorism within the region, had began to yield positive results.
The comptroller-general said this was in addition to assisting in streamlining transit trade between Nigeria and the neighbouring states of Benin and Niger.
He, however, stressed the need for capacity building, through training and retraining of officers, as well as the continuous employment of talented youths.
The WCO Secretary General, Mr Kunio Mikuriya praised the leadership role Nigeria had been playing in the sub region.
Mikuriya said that from 2011 when he first visited Abuja, till date, he had continued to marvel with the Nigerian spirit.
Also in the week under review, Mrs Jean Chiazor-Anishere, President of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association (WISTA) said that maritime disputes should not only be resolved by litigations.
Chiazor-Anishere told NAN that there should be room for Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
“By emphasising more on the fact of other means of dispute resolution like ADR (Alternative Dispute Resolution), that it should not be through litigation method alone that maritime disputes can be resolved.
“As we have observed, it takes a longer time if we have to take it through litigation,’’ Chiazor-Anishere
In the week under review, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) said 17 states had keyed into its National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP).
Mrs Irene Macfoy, Deputy Director, National Seafarers Development Programme (NSDP) told our reporter that NIMASA would continue to sensitise the remaining states who had yet to key into the programme.
Mcfoy said that over 2,500 Nigerians youths were being trained in various countries through the NSDP.
“ Right now, NIMASA is training well over 2,500 students in various institutions in various countries.
“We have some students in India, we have some students in United Kingdom, we have in Romania, we have in Philippines and we also have in Egypt,” the deputy director said.
Macfoy said that the outcome of the training was to produce a large number of seafarers for the nation as well as to generate revenue for government from tax payment.
“We have conducted sensitisation in some of these states that have not keyed in. Some of them have responded, while some are yet to respond,’’ she said.
On the other hand, Mr Olu Akinsoji, a former Director-General, Government Inspector of Shipping (GIS), has urged Ship owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) to work jointly and effectively partake in international shipping.
Akinsoji, told NAN that it would be difficult for a nation to compete in international shipping, if the ship owners were not organised.
“From my experience, I believe that a nation cannot compete favourably in international shipping if the private sector is not organised.
“This is the beginning of many more things to come

Business

Agency Gives Insight Into Its Inspection, Monitoring Operations

Published

2 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Director, South South Zone National Agency for Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Pharmacist Chujwuma P.Oligbu has said its thorough implementation of its core mandate of monitoring has no link with witch-hunting or fault finding as perceived at some quarters.

Oligbu, made this known when he spoke as as guest at the maiden Rivers state Supermarkets stakeholders’ Seminar/Workshop in Port Harcourt recently.

Rather, he said they were mere opportunities for education, correction and continuous improvement.

The Agency’s South South Boss, noted that Supermarket operators who maintain transparent records, cooperate during inspections, and promptly address identified gaps demonstrate professionalism and commitment to public health standard.

He listed the deserving essence of supermarket operation to include the key aspects of supermarket operation that deserves emphasis is product sourcing.

“Supermarkets must ensure that all regulated products stocked on their shelves are duly registered with NAFDAC and sourced from legitimate manufacturers or distributors”, he said .

According to him, the presence of unregistered, expired, counterfeit, or improper labelled products undermines consumer confidence and poses serious health risks.

He pointed out that such has the likelihood of exposeing supermarket operators to legal sanctions that could damage their reputation and financial stability.

The NAFDAC Operator, further enlightened the participants that mere registration of a particular product with the Federal agency do not guarantee absolute consumption safety.

“Temperature control, cleanliness, pest control, stock rotation, and proper shelving are not optional practice; they are essential components of compliance”, he said.

The South South zonal director also told the operators of supermarket that their employees rotine training on the basis of the product they display for sale is of utmost importance.

In her presentation a Breast Milk Nutrition Expert , Professor Alice Nte of University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH), was against the body’s prime attention to breast milk substitute or baby milk in supermarkets as well as its advertisement or promotion.

Nye jerked up the importance of mothers breast milk to the newborn baby and added that it help in fighting against childhood diseases, infections and combating cancer in breastfeeding mothers.

Meanwhile, NAFDAC Deputy Director, South – South Zone , Mrs. Riter Chujwuma educated the participants on the guidelines for global listing, and the need to adhere strictly to rules guiding global listing to avoid confiscation of their imported products.

By: King Onunwor

Business

BVN Enrolments Rise 6% To 67.8m In 2025 — NIBSS

Published

2 days ago

January 12, 2026

The Tide

The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has said that Bank Verification Number (BVN) enrolments rose by 6.8 per cent year-on-year to 67.8 million as at December 2025, up from 63.5 million recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.

In a statement published on its website, NIBSS attributed the growth to stronger policy enforcement by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the expansion of diaspora enrolment initiatives.

According to the data, more than 4.3 million new BVNs were issued within the one-year period, underscoring the growing adoption of biometric identification as a prerequisite for accessing financial services in Nigeria.

NIBSS noted that the expansion reinforces the BVN system’s central role in Nigeria’s financial inclusion drive and digital identity framework.

Analysts linked the growth largely to regulatory measures by the CBN, particularly the directive to restrict or freeze bank accounts without both a BVN and National Identification Number (NIN), which took effect from April 2024.

The policy compelled many customers to regularise their biometric records to retain access to banking services.

Another major driver, the statement said, was the rollout of the Non-Resident Bank Verification Number (NRBVN) initiative, which allows Nigerians in the diaspora to obtain a BVN remotely without physical presence in the country.

The programme has been widely regarded as a milestone in integrating the diaspora into Nigeria’s formal financial system.

A five-year analysis by NIBSS showed consistent growth in BVN enrolments, rising from 51.9 million in 2021 to 56.0 million in 2022, 60.1 million in 2023, 63.5 million in 2024 and 67.8 million by December 2025. The steady increase reflects stronger compliance with biometric identity requirements and improved coverage of the national banking identity system.

However, NIBSS noted that BVN enrolments still lag the total number of active bank accounts, which exceeded 320 million as of March 2025.

The gap, it explained, is largely due to multiple bank accounts linked to single BVNs, as well as customers yet to complete enrolment, despite the progress recorded.

Business

AFAN Unveils Plans To Boost Food Production In 2026

Published

5 days ago

January 9, 2026

The Tide

The leadership of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) has set the tone for the new year with a renewed focus on food security, unity and long-term growth of the agricultural sector.

The association announced that its General Assembly of Farmers Congress will take place from January 15 to 17, 2026 at the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industries, along Lugbe Airport Road, in the Federal Capital Territory.

The gathering is expected to bring together farmers, policymakers, investors and development partners to shape a fresh direction for Nigerian agriculture.

In a New Year address to members and stakeholders, AFAN president, Dr Farouk Rabiu Mudi, said the congress would provide a strategic forum for reviewing past challenges and outlining practical solutions for the future.

He explained that the event would serve as a rallying point for innovation, collaboration and economic renewal within the sector.

Mudi commended farmers across the country for their determination and hard work, despite years of insecurity, climate-related pressures and economic uncertainty.

According to him, their resilience has kept food production alive and positioned agriculture as a stabilising force in the national economy.

He noted that AFAN intends to build on this strength by resetting agribusiness operations to improve productivity and sustainability.

The AFAN leader appealed to government institutions, private investors and development organisations to deepen their engagement with the association.

He stressed the need for collective action to confront persistent issues such as insecurity in farming communities, climate impacts and market instability.

He also urged members to put aside internal disputes and personal interests, encouraging cooperation and shared responsibility in pursuit of national development.

Mudi outlined key priorities that include increasing food output, expanding support for farmers at the grassroots and strengthening local manufacturing through partnerships with both domestic and international investors adding that reducing dependence on imports remains critical to protecting the economy and creating jobs.

He stated that the upcoming congress will feature the launch of AFAN’s twenty-five-year agricultural mechanisation roadmap, alongside the announcement of new partnerships designed to accelerate growth across the value chain.

Participants, he said wi also have opportunities for networking and knowledge exchange aimed at transforming agriculture into a more competitive and technology-driven sector.

As part of its modernisation drive, AFAN is further encouraging members nationwide to enrol for the newly introduced Digital ID Card.

Mudi said the initiative will improve transparency, ensure proper farmer identification and make it easier to access support programmes and services.

Reaffirming the association’s long-term goal, he said the vision of national food sufficiency by 2030 remains achievable if unity and collaboration are sustained.

He expressed optimism that with collective effort, Nigeria’s agricultural sector can overcome its challenges and deliver a more secure and prosperous future.

Lady Usendi