Licensed agents seek law reserving freight jobs for Nigerians

Licensed agents in Nigeria are calling for urgent legislative action to reserve critical segments of the nation's freight forwarding and customs brokerage industry for indigenous operators. They argue that the increasing presence of foreign companies is jeopardizing local employment, fostering capital flight, and creating significant national security vulnerabilities.

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The development calls for urgent legislative intervention similar to the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act to ensure that critical components of the logistics value chain are reserved for Nigerians.

Kayode Farinto, former Acting National President of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, presented a position paper advocating for this change. He stated that Nigeria's logistics industry has gradually fallen under foreign control. Farinto emphasized the need for legislative intervention, drawing a parallel with the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, to ensure that essential parts of the logistics value chain are exclusively handled by Nigerians.

Farinto explained that the logistics sector encompasses various interconnected areas, including transportation planning, cargo booking, documentation, customs clearance, warehousing, cargo handling, and customs brokerage. He stressed that customs brokerage and freight forwarding are particularly strategic due to their economic and security implications for the nation. He urged lawmakers to either create a new law specifically for indigenous freight forwarding or expand existing local content legislation to cover these sensitive maritime logistics areas.

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Nigeria cannot afford to leave strategic logistics activities in the hands of foreign interests at a time when the country is battling insecurity, arms smuggling, and transnational crimes.

Implementing such legislation, according to Farinto, would stimulate local participation, generate employment opportunities, and ensure that wealth generated within the sector remains within Nigeria. He warned that the growing foreign involvement in customs brokerage raises national security concerns, as these operators gain unrestricted access to sensitive cargo information and import documentation. "Nigeria cannot afford to leave strategic logistics activities in the hands of foreign interests at a time when the country is battling insecurity, arms smuggling, and transnational crimes," Farinto cautioned.

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If freight forwarding is left in the hands of indigenous Nigerians, it will create employment opportunities and ensure that revenues generated from the business are retained within the country rather than being repatriated abroad.