The National Coordinator of NAGAFF 100% Compliance Team, Alhaji Tanko Ibrahim, has revealed that many freight forwarders view trade compliance as a hindrance to their lucrative business practices. In an exclusive interview with News Emperor, Tanko stated that despite the compliance team’s efforts, some operators see them as their enemy and also see trade policy implementation as a disturbance to their fraudulent ways of making quick money (easy profits).

“Operators, if allowed, would want to avoid compliance in all areas and would want to just make money without minding compliance to government trade policies,” Tanko said.
He assured maritime businessmen and women that his team is focus, committed and would remain deeply rooted to ensuring absolute compliance, regardless of the operators’ mindset.

Tanko reemphasized the importance of honesty in declarations and payment of Customs duties, stressing that integrity is a critical aspect of freight forwarding business. “Be honest in your declarations and be honest in the payment of Customs duties. Not when you declare building materials, and if the container is opened, you will discover that what you are really carrying is different from what you declared,” he warned.

The NAGAFF 100% Compliance Team, Alhaji Tanko, said, has recorded over 70% success in its mission to promote compliance. Tanko attributed the challenges to a misconception among freight forwarders that compliance hinders business growth. “People are seeing compliance as a reversal for business. They are seeing it that if they comply, they will not make money,” he said, adding that this notion is based on ignorance.

Tanko explained that compliance is about being honest in declarations and paying the right duties, which ultimately benefits the business. He urged freight forwarders to educate their clients (importers) on the importance of compliance, highlighting the risks of non-compliance, including loss of goods and penalties from regulatory agencies such as Customs, NAFDAC, Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), and NDLEA.

“Ordinarily, it is the freight forwarders who are supposed to educate their clients (the importers),” Tanko said. “So, when we start from there, then we (the freight forwarders) educate the customers (the importers) to do the right thing, that it is necessary for him to do the right to avoid loss of goods. You can see that a lot of people are losing their consignments to Customs, to NAFDAC, SON, NDLEA, and other government agencies because of non-compliance,” the coordinator added.

Tanko’s message underscores the need for a shift in mindset among freight forwarders, emphasizing that compliance is not a hindrance to business growth but rather a crucial aspect of sustainable and profitable operations.