What is NAGAFF and what does it do?

The abbreviation of NAGAFF simply means the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders. NAGAFF is a professional association founded in 1999. It came on board as a child of necessity because before now, the freight forwarding industry has been reduced to mere exchange of goods among people for their personal use. It was bastardized to a point that it became very much like a convergence of fraud or those they refer to as 419. We felt that there was need to join the global trend by creating a professional body that would ensure that things take it right shape and to also salvage the freight forwarders then known as clearing agents from customs executives’ as well as other agents at the port.

The National Planning Commission (NPC), during the week, organised a two-day workshop to sensitise private sector operators in the North about Nigeria’s Vision 20:2020, the government’s blueprint for making the country one of the 20 most developed economies by 2020. Our correspondent, Musa Adamu took up the National Vice-President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Alhaji Ali Madugu, on whether the association trusts the government on Vision 20:2020, given our sad experience with development plans. Excerpts: