NAGAFF Inaugurates Trade War Committee To Curb Exploitation At The Port

 

In a move aimed at confronting alleged exploitation and systemic inefficiencies within Nigeria’s port system, the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has inaugurated a 16-member Trade War Committee tasked with monitoring port operations, gathering intelligence, and advocating reforms across the country’s maritime trade ecosystem.

Briefing the  pressmen at his NAGAFF headquarters  recently in Lagos,   the Founder of the association, Dr. Okechukwu Aniebonam stated that the committee is expected to serve as a strategic platform to address persistent complaints from traders, importers, and freight forwarders operating within Nigerian ports.

According to  Dr. Aniebonam, the establishment of the committee is a response to increasing reports of regulatory excesses, operational bottlenecks, and exploitative practices allegedly perpetrated by some government agencies and stakeholders involved in cargo documentation and clearance processes.

The Committee is mandated to undertake strategic trade advocacy, operational monitoring, policy intelligence gathering, and institutional engagement aimed at addressing systemic inefficiencies and exploitative practices affecting port users and logistics operators across Nigeria’s international trade ecosystem.

The association noted that persistent inefficiencies within the port environment threaten the reform ambitions of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and could undermine broader efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s global trade competitiveness.

The committee will therefore function as an independent oversight and advisory platform, documenting operational realities within the port system and presenting evidence-based reports that could guide policy reforms, regulatory improvements, and strategic administrative decisions.

Dr Aniebonam  however called on regulatory agencies and stakeholders to cooperate with the initiative, describing it as a collective effort to sanitise Nigeria’s port environment and protect the interests of legitimate traders.