Agents seek two-year validity for brokerage licence
The Africa Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria has recommended a two-year validity period for broking licences issued by Nigeria Customs Service.
The National President of APFFLON, Frank Ogunojemite, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
He also congratulated the NCS on its first issuance of the Pre-Arrival Assessment Report under the B’Odogwu (Unified Customs Management System).
B’Odogwu is an indigenous replacement for the Nigeria Integrated Customs Information System, designed to modernise customs operations, enhance efficiency in trade documentation, and strengthen inter-agency collaboration.
Recall that this recent issuance of PAAR under the B’Odogwu platform follows the recent strategic engagement between the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Olayemi Cardoso, where both institutions reaffirmed their commitment to seamless trade processes, enhanced revenue collection, and improved financial integration.
Speaking further, Ogunojemite stated that the extension of the NCS licences from annually to biennially could have numerous benefits for licensed agents as well as the NCS.
He itemised some of these benefits to include “reduced administrative burden, lower economic costs of agents, increased efficiency, enhanced predictability, among others”.
According to him, reducing the frequency of licence renewals from one year to two years “could decrease the administrative burden on businesses and the NCS. A longer licence period could simplify compliance procedures, allowing businesses to focus on their core activities.”
He added that a two-year period could also enable businesses to plan more effectively, making it easier to manage logistics and supply chains.
Ogunojemite maintained that a longer licence period could provide greater predictability for businesses, allowing them to make more informed decisions.
“Extending the license period could reduce the costs associated with frequent renewals, such as application fees and documentation costs. Businesses would need to devote fewer resources to ensuring ongoing compliance,” Ogunojemite said.
The freight forwarder equally argued that a two-year licence period could allow for more thorough risk assessments, enabling the Customs to better identify and mitigate potential security risks, even as enhanced monitoring will be attained.
