CRFFN, firm sign MoU on manpower development

The Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) and Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics Limited have signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to train between 500 and 1,000 industry practitioners annually to support the country’s $1 trillion economic ambition.

The deal sealed yesterday marks a shift from policy dialogue to implementation in effort to professionalise the country’s logistics ecosystem and align it with the Federal Government’s trade, marine and blue economy agenda.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, CRFFN Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kingsley Igwe, said the partnership was the culmination of months of engagement that began with a visit to Fortune Global’s headquarters on September 24, 2025. He stressed that the MoU is strategic rather than symbolic, noting that it aligns directly with Act 16 of 2007, which established CRFFN as Nigeria’s freight forwarding regulator.

 He said: “This journey started on the 24th of September, 2025, when I led my team from CRFFN on a cordial visit to the headquarters of Fortune Global Shipping Limited. It was during that engagement, in that visit, that this vision was born between myself and Dr. Eric Opah, with a shared ambition to drive transformation and repositioning of the freight logistics industry in Nigeria for global competitiveness.

“Today’s event is not merely ceremonial, it is strategic. It is forward-looking, and it is firmly aligned with CRFFN’s mandates under Act 16 of 2007, which established CRFFN as the statutory body responsible for regulating, controlling, and professionalizing freight forwarding practice in Nigeria.

Igwe explained that CRFFN is undergoing an institutional revival under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, with oversight from the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Dr. Adegboyega Oyetola, adding that private-sector collaboration is critical to achieving meaningful reform.

“Our goal is clear: to build a freight forwarding and logistics industry that is competitive, technology-driven, ethically grounded, and globally respected. We recognise that regulation alone cannot achieve this transformation. Strategic partnerships are essential,” he said.

He described Fortune Global as a strong fit for the council’s reform agenda, citing its multimodal logistics capabilities and operational footprint across six continents. According to him, the MoU establishes a structured framework for capacity building, professional training, policy research, technology adoption, and pro-trade advocacy.

“This MoU provides a structured framework for collaboration in training and mentorship programmes for freight forwarders, knowledge sharing through seminars, workshops and conferences, policy advocacy and regulatory research, industry development and innovation, institutional strengthening, and stakeholder engagements,” Igwe said.

A key pillar of the agreement is the planned inauguration of a Logistics CEOs Forum, which will serve as a technical advisory and policy think tank to the Office of the Registrar. Igwe disclosed that Fortune Global has been invited to spearhead the forum, which is expected to be inaugurated by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy. Igwe added that the council is adopting a “trade-first” regulatory philosophy to position Nigeria as a logistics hub in West and Central Africa.

He said: “As part of our broader reform architecture, CRFFN is inaugurating the Logistics CEOs Forum. This forum will serve as a technical advisory unit to the Office of the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer and also serve as a structured platform for engagement between regulators and industry captains

“Every regulation, every levy, every compliance framework must be evaluated against one fundamental question: does this promote or hinder trade competitiveness?”

In his remarks, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fortune Global Shipping and Logistics Limited, Dr. Eric Opah, described the MoU as a turning point for the industry and the most far-reaching reform effort since the council’s inception. He said the agreement signals the start of restoring credibility and global best practice to Nigeria’s logistics and freight forwarding space.

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“Since the inauguration of Council for Regulation of Freight-Forwarding, I want to make bold to say this is the first time that we are witnessing a far-reaching approach to developing the industry.

“What this ceremony signifies today is it’s the beginning of bringing the industry, the logistics and freight-forwarding industry to limelight. It is an event to begin to unveil how the industry should practice, how the business of logistics should be conducted,” he said.

Although Fortune Global is not the largest operator in the sector, Opah said the company is driven by a passion for regulation and industry development, particularly as it concerns freight forwarding and logistics.

He underscored the sector’s importance to national revenue and economic growth, noting, “You cannot talk about revenue generation without talking about the freight-forwarding and logistics industry. Every single cargo that leaves the airport, the sea, whether you’re talking about rail, sea, or air transport, you cannot remove the logistics and the freight-forwarding practitioners from it.”

Welcoming the proposed Logistics CEOs Forum, Opah said Fortune Global was committed to supporting CRFFN’s reform agenda, including efforts to eliminate unqualified operators and enforce professional standards. He also criticised the absence of structured licensing and talent development frameworks in the country’s logistics sector, calling for specialised institutions and differentiated licences for operators.

“We want this vision to eliminate those who are not qualified to be in our industry. You must have the relevant qualifications to practice.

“In other climes, you have people with Class A license, Class B license. Here, you don’t know who is a broker, you don’t know who is an MVOCC, you don’t know who is a trucker. So everything is muddled together,” he said.

Both parties linked the MoU to the country’s ambitions under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), noting that inefficient logistics remains one of the biggest barriers to intra-African trade.

“One of the most difficult challenges in Africa is moving trade goods across borders. This MOU will deepen relationship not just within Nigeria, but across Africa,” Opah said.

Igwe added that the CEOs Forum will provide practical, experience-based input to help Nigeria comply with AfCFTA rules and better access a continental market of over one billion people. He disclosed that a core deliverable of the partnership is the annual training of no fewer than 500 to 1,000 practitioners, alongside joint curriculum development focused on AfCFTA compliance and global best practices.

“By this MoU, we are establishing the CEO’s hub. The CEOs are the ones that move these goods across borders. They know the bottlenecks.

 “By this MoU, we look forward to annually training nothing less than 500 to 1,000 people in the industry that can be able to compete favourably and adhere to the rules of the African continental agreement,” Igwe stated.