The National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has appealed to Comptroller‑General of Customs (CGC) Adewale Adeniyi to intervene in the non‑release of eight buses allocated to its Academy.
According to a statement on Tuesday, the association says the vehicles remain unavailable despite completing payment and all required processing.
Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, NAGAFF’s founder, was quoted expressing deep concern over the situation, describing it as a surprising and avoidable setback.
He said the buses were part of an auction allocation intended to support training and welfare for students at the Academy.
“We applied for 41 vehicles for use across our chapters, including Kebbi and Sokoto, and were eventually allocated eight,” Dr. Aniebonam said.
He added that “We paid for those eight, completed all processing, and went to the port — but we could not see even one of the vehicles physically.”
The association said the missing vehicles have placed it in a difficult financial position, with funds already expended for assets that have not been delivered.
Dr. Aniebonam stressed the buses are meant solely to support academy activities — transporting students and lecturers and providing logistics for training — not for the personal use of officials or members.
NAGAFF noted its long‑standing, cooperative relationship with the Nigeria Customs Service dating back to 1999 and urged CGC Adeniyi to personally investigate the matter and facilitate resolution.
Dr. Aniebonam warned that failure to resolve the issue could undermine customs reform efforts, arguing that investment in the training of young freight forwarders is essential to the success of those reforms and the wider maritime sector.
“We believe that if the Comptroller‑General does not assist in educating and equipping young freight forwarders, reforms risk being built on weak foundations,” he said.
NAGAFF called on Customs management to urgently examine the circumstances surrounding the delay, engage relevant stakeholders, and ensure the prompt release of the buses so the academy can fulfill its training mandate.
