The Chairman, Maritime Studies University of
Lagos, Professor Iyiola Oni has called on Nigerian freight forwarders to study
all relevant sections from the African Continental Free Trade Agreement
(AfCFTA) agreements before the commencement date.
The transport expert also
called on Nigerian practitioners to draw their road-map for the future as
the Agreement is set to commence in March 2020.
Disclosing this
during his lecture delivered at the 20th-anniversary celebration of the
National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) recently
in Lagos, Professor Oni said that it is not all nations that sign the agreement
that will benefit equally adding that only those who are prepared that will
gain more.
In the same vein, he maintained that freight
forwarders must equip themselves if they do not want to be left behind in the
AfCFTA regime.
He admonished the practitioners to study and
understand the Agreement and the operations of single window imperatives.
The professor said
“Since almost all countries in Africa are coming in stream in this Agreement,
freight forwarders should start studying and identifying which countries they
have a comparative and competitive advantage with that they can hook up with
easily.
“They should start
brokering partnership in these countries and start pilot or trial business
schemes in anticipation of the full-scale operations of the AfCFTA in 2020.
“As operations, plan
and position for these giant strides by the African Union to boost economic
activities in the continent, the spirit is for you to rise above local
challenges, develop an adequate capacity for continental and global competition,”
he stated.
According to the
erudite transport Professor, benefits of the regime will accrue to countries
and individuals that are well equipped.
He also posited that
welfare benefits from lower import prices, production efficiency and increase
in outputs will offer more jobs to the freight forwarders.
In his reaction to
this, the founder of NAGAFF, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam urged members of the
association to acquire knowledge at all cost.
He said: “What I
charge all of you is to abide with the law, never go against the law, but be
fearless. You will attain the greatness you desire. NAGAFF Members trained so
far are more daring and determined”.
“NAGAFF people, go back and read, acquire
skills and knowledge, this is the yardstick for concluding the movement ahead
of us. You are at liberty to upgrade yourself, because soonest, diploma degree
will be the minimum qualifications for practice as a Freight Forwarder”.
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