NAGAFF President, Ezisi, pledges stronger partnership with Customs

 

 

Maureen Aguta

The National President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, has reaffirmed the association’s commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), while urging the PTML Command to sustain its support for freight forwarders.

 

Ezisi made the pledge on Thursday, October 15, 2026, during a courtesy visit to the Customs Area Controller (CAC) of the PTML Command, Comptroller Nura Ibrahim Miko, accompanied by the newly elected executives of the NAGAFF PTML Chapter.

 

The visit provided an opportunity for Ezisi to formally introduce the chapter’s new leadership, which was democratically elected to manage its affairs for the next four years, and to welcome the CAC.

 

Ezisi explained that although letters of introduction had been sent to various departmental heads, he considered it important to personally present the newly elected executives to the Command’s leadership to establish a direct working relationship.

 

The NAGAFF president described the association as a law-abiding organisation that had maintained a longstanding relationship with the Customs Service, stressing the importance of compliance, professionalism, and collaboration in facilitating legitimate trade.

 

He urged Miko to maintain open communication with the chapter’s leadership whenever disagreements or operational challenges arose, assuring him that the national leadership would intervene where necessary to resolve issues.

 

Ezisi acknowledged that, like other large organisations, NAGAFF had members with different dispositions and approaches to issues, noting that effective leadership required understanding and managing these differences.

 

He also highlighted the role of the association’s compliance team, whose guiding slogan, “If you see something, say something,” reflects its commitment to identifying and reporting compliance concerns.

 

While commending the Controller for the support extended to freight forwarders at PTML, Ezisi urged him to sustain the cordial relationship and assist the chapter whenever possible.

 

He explained that NAGAFF was a non-profit organisation whose headquarters relied substantially on the contributions and activities of its chapters to fulfill its responsibilities.

In his response, the Customs Area Controller of the PTML Command, Comptroller Nura Ibrahim Miko, assured NAGAFF members of the Command’s continued cooperation, describing the relationship between Customs Officers and Freight Forwarders at the terminal as cordial.

 

Miko commended NAGAFF for its organisational structure, particularly its commitment to training and capacity development through its training school.

 

He recalled his previous engagements with the association’s leadership and praised Ezisi for maintaining contact with the Customs Service and ensuring that members represented the association at stakeholder meetings whenever he was unavailable.

 

The CAC said the PTML Command would continue to support freight forwarders, adding that Customs officers and industry operators worked as a community and needed to maintain harmony and cooperation.

 

He disclosed that the command had continued engaging terminal operators on the need to improve the working environment for Customs Officers and freight forwarders, expressing hope that the discussions would lead to better conditions for stakeholders.

 

Miko encouraged freight forwarders to report any shortcomings in the conduct of Customs officers, assuring them that the command would take feedback seriously and work towards improvement.

 

He also urged stakeholders to acknowledge good performance, emphasising that constructive engagement, mutual respect and collaboration were essential to effective operations.

 

Comptroller Miko commended NAGAFF members for their conduct, noting that they generally came forward to engage the command whenever issues arose.

 

He reaffirmed his management team’s readiness to sustain its relationship with the association and other stakeholders in the maritime industry.

 

Speaking, the NAGAFF Deputy National President, Headquarters, Simeon Nwonu, described the visit as a homecoming, recalling Miko’s previous relationship with the association during his service in Apapa.

 

Nwonu said the association was pleased with the CAC assurance that he would maintain the cordial relationship and accessibility for which he was known among stakeholders.

 

He thanked Comptroller Miko and his management team for the warm reception, expressing confidence that NAGAFF members operating at PTML would benefit from continued engagement with the command.

 

The NAGAFF vice president also prayed for the career advancement of Customs officers and other stakeholders, expressing hope that the existing cooperation between the association and the Customs Service would be sustained.

 

Advocacy Times reports that the visit underscored the importance of constructive engagement between freight forwarding associations and the Customs Service in promoting compliance, improving cargo clearance processes and facilitating legitimate trade at Nigeria’s ports.