Dr Azeez Mustapha, Managing Director of AZ Logistics, has raised concerns over the growing threats posed by quackery, inconsistent government policies, and entrenched corruption in Nigeria’s freight forwarding sector, calling for urgent reforms to sanitise the industry and improve trade facilitation.
Speaking at the monthly roundtable of the Congress of Nigerian Maritime Media Practitioners (CONMMEP) in Lagos, Dr Mustapha described the situation as alarming, stating that many unlicensed individuals parade themselves as freight forwarders without formal training or regulatory approval.
“We face numerous issues in this industry due to individuals posing as legitimate clearing and forwarding agents,” he lamented. “Many of them are mere touts. A visit to Apapa shows you people with plastic bags claiming to be agents. This undermines the credibility of professionals in the sector.”
He commended the Council for Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), established in 2007, for its efforts to professionalise the industry, noting that both his company and he, as an individual, are registered with the body. However, he maintained that more work needs to be done to eliminate impostors and elevate standards.
Dr Mustapha also identified unstable government policies as a significant hurdle: “Rapid policy changes cause setbacks from Customs to the Nigerian Ports Authority, the Shippers’ Council, and even the Central Bank. These changes are often made without consulting genuine stakeholders, leading to disruptions across the logistics chain.”
He noted that rather than dwelling on the problems, the focus should be on practical solutions that foster growth. “We must move from a complaint-based approach to a solution-oriented mindset,” he added.
On the issue of corruption, particularly relating to port operations, Dr Mustapha cited the Electronic Truck Call-Up (ETO) system as a mixed bag — an improvement from previous chaos, but still plagued by extortion.
“Extortion remains rampant despite the ETO system,” he explained. “The system may be digital, but it is still manipulated. The underlying issue is that stakeholders in the value chain — including contractors and platform managers — often require kickbacks, which is passed on to the final consumer. A two-week delay in cargo movement leads to increased costs in the market.”
Dr Mustapha also highlighted the longstanding problem of Customs officials intercepting cleared consignments.
“When a Customs Area Controller clears a consignment, it should not be stopped again by the Federal Operations Unit (FOU). This double-checking, often for revenue generation, is a policy failure,” he argued. “Once goods are examined and released at the port, that decision should stand. Unfortunately, this internal contradiction within Customs hampers trade and tarnishes the country’s image.”
Drawing comparisons, he said, “In countries like Ghana, once cargo is cleared, it moves. But here, the bureaucracy continues even after official clearance, which is unacceptable.”
He concluded by stressing the need for systemic change: “To grow the freight forwarding sector, we need transparency, professionalism, and consistent policies. Only then can we build a reputation for efficiency and integrity.”