CRFFN begins licensing of freight forwarders
Lagos, Oct. 2026 (TBL Africa) The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) says it has commenced licensing of freight forwarding companies to strengthen professionalism and enhance regulation in the maritime sector.
Dr Kingsley lgwe, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of CRFFN, said this on Friday in Lagos at the 2026 World Maritime Day celebration.
The ccelebration with the theme, “From Policy to Practice: Powering Maritime Excellence”.
Igwe said the licensing exercise began in March 2026 and had attracted more than 1,000 applications from freight forwarding companies operating across the country’s seaports.
He said 10 companies that demonstrated the highest level of compliance had been selected for recognition and would receive a desktop computer each.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at ensuring that freight forwarding companies are properly registered and licensed to support the growth of the marine and blue economy.
Igwe also announced the development of LogRoom4.1, an integrated digital regulatory platform for freight logistics services.
He said the platform would support digital profiling, standardised pricing, electronic invoicing and payments, container return guarantees, compliance monitoring and revenue assurance.
The registrar added that the platform would improve transparency, curb revenue leakages and facilitate trade across the freight forwarding subsector.
He commended the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr Adegboyega Oyetola, for his leadership and pledged continued collaboration with stakeholders to improve the maritime sector.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research (NIOMR), Prof. Abiodun Sule, said maritime policies could only deliver meaningful benefits when translated into practical actions.
Sule said the theme underscored the need for safe navigation, reliable infrastructure, environmental protection and efficient services to promote trade.
He assured that NIOMR would continue to collaborate with government agencies, industry operators, coastal communities and development partners to improve navigation, strengthen safety standards, modernise facilities and protect waterways.
In his remarks, a member of the House of Representatives Committee on Marine and Blue Economy, Mr Odudoh Uduak, commended Oyetola for driving reforms in the maritime sector.
Uduak said the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) had recorded notable achievements, including the establishment of a maritime domain awareness centre to support real-time ocean monitoring.
He also said fish production had increased from 1.1 million metric tonnes to 1.4 million metric tonnes, attributing the growth to sustained investment in manpower development and training.
