The Registrar of the Council for the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN), Mr Kingsley Igwe, has explained why freight forwarders have not been enjoying the expected benefits from the Practitioners Operating Fee (POF).

According to him, the problem is not just about collection—it is about how the payment system works and whether it can clearly identify the real freight forwarder behind each transaction. He said the current approach has created major gaps in transparency and accountability, which have made it difficult to properly distribute the intended 5% dividend meant to support training and professional development.

Mr Igwe noted that the POF payment platform is not fully domiciled within CRFFN. Because of that, the Council does not have direct access to the backend information needed to track payments properly and confirm who the actual beneficiaries are.

He also pointed out that payments are often processed through third-party Point of Sale (POS) operators at port terminals. In this arrangement, the transaction details may record the POS operator’s information, not the freight forwarder who paid. As a result, it becomes hard to isolate individual contributions, even when multiple practitioners are involved.

He described the situation as a long-standing issue that has affected CRFFN’s ability to deliver on its commitments under the POF framework. He emphasised that this has been a major challenge for years, leaving many practitioners dissatisfied.

To address the problem, CRFFN says it is prioritising digitalisation. The Council is working toward a system that can capture payments accurately and link them directly to individual practitioners, improving transparency and making distribution of benefits more traceable.

Mr Igwe also mentioned that the industry is affected by divisions along union and association lines, which have further slowed unified reforms. Still, he stressed that the original purpose of the POF was not only regulation—it was also meant to support capacity building for freight forwarders, similar to how other sectors receive structured support.

He concluded by calling on stakeholders to engage with the Council openly, saying CRFFN is ready to consider workable solutions that can help fix the payment framework and restore the true intention of the POF.