By Roland Ekama
The Managing Director of Mickey Excellency Nigeria Limited , Alhaji Babatunde Abdulazeez Mikhail, has publicly challenged ANLCA national president Kingsley Emenike Nwokeji to address what he calls “glaring loopholes” that have emerged under his close to three-year administration.
Speaking in an exclusive interview on Tuesday in Lagos, Babatunde — a former Secretary General and ex‑Chairman of the Association’s National Electoral Commission (NECOM) , described the Nwokeji tenure as peaceful but deeply flawed.
He warned that a widening disconnect between the national leadership and chapter executives is harming the association’s effectiveness.
“ANLCA is the lead association in the freight‑forwarding sector. It should be a force,” Babatunde said, adding that the association has failed to engage with the Nigeria Customs Service adequately, particularly on digitalization and modern service interplay. “Customs operations in digital terms cannot be compared to what the association is doing.”
The Mickey Excellency boss,also maintained that customs has edged most of the freight agents in terms of digitalization in terms of operation on cargo process and procedures, noting knowledge is power that must be obtained by practitioners.
Babatunde also accused the national leadership of poor communication and weak transitional practices, noting that there was no formal handover after elections three years ago. He claimed several chapters appear rudderless and urged the president to scout and nurture talent at chapter levels to improve operations, welfare, and professionalism.
Only Onne and Tin Can Island Chapters, he said, are performing up to standard; other chapters “have failed to live up to expectations.”
He warned that human capital development has been neglected and called for a renewed focus on professionalism to align ANLCA with international best practice.
With Nwokeji’s long record — eight years as Onne chairman, eight years as national vice president, and nearly three as national president — Babatunde urged the incumbent to be transparent and to optimize rules of engagement.
Furthermore , he urged a system overhaul before the next year, when the current tenure expires, so ANLCA can “stand tall” once more.
