NAGAFF President, Tochukwu Ezisi Takes Up MARAN Patron Role, Demands Total Rationalisation of Port Charges
NAGAFF President, High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi (middle) being decorated as MARAN Patron by Chairman of MAMAL 2026 event, Capt Warredi Enisuoh (right) and Publisher of Shipping World Magazine, Elder Asu Beks
By DAPO OLAWUNI
The President of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF), High Chief Tochukwu Ezisi, was on Thursday formally inaugurated as a Patron of the Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN).
Ezisi’s investiture took place during the 4th edition of the MARAN Maritime Annual Lecture (MAMAL), an event that drew prominent leaders across the maritime ecosystem.
He was accompanied to the ceremony by a high-level detachment of NAGAFF leadership, including the founder of the association, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, Deputy President Simeon Nwonu, National Secretary Emeka Nwosu, board member Afam Chukwuma, alongside several members of the NAGAFF Board of Directors and general membership.
Delivering his acceptance speech following the ceremony, Ezisi addressed the lecture’s core theme; “Nigeria Ports Modernisation, Charges, and the Competitiveness Question” demanding an immediate structural overhaul of port operations and an aggressive rationalisation of shipping costs.
Addressing the operational challenges confronting freight forwarders and port users across the country, the newly appointed patron warned that the current tariff environment is stifling trade and hurting national revenues.
“Let us face the truth: the multiplicity of charges at our ports is a burden. Excessive tariffs, overlapping levies, hidden costs—these erode our competitiveness and drive cargo traffic to neighbouring countries,” Ezisi stated.
He stressed that Nigeria’s goal of becoming the primary maritime hub for West and Central Africa depends heavily on transparent, standardized, and internationally benchmarked tariff structures that attract rather than deter shippers and foreign investors.
To reclaim Nigeria’s regional leadership under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) framework, Ezisi outlined a strategy anchored on operational efficiency, cost rationalisation, and targeted infrastructure expansion.
He noted that modernizing the country’s maritime gateways requires a sharp reduction in turnaround times, the elimination of administrative bottlenecks, and sustained investment in deep-sea berths, modern terminals, and multimodal logistics links.
Ezisi emphasized that physical upgrades must be paired with digital infrastructure, envisioning a system where full automation replaces paper-heavy clearance procedures to guarantee seamless, predictable logistics.
Ezisi formally accepted the appointment with gratitude to the media body, commending MARAN for its historical role in maintaining accountability within the maritime sector.
“MARAN has been the voice of maritime journalism, shining light where there is darkness, asking questions where silence would have prevailed, and fostering dialogue where division might have lingered,” he said.
Reaffirming NAGAFF’s commitment to constructive industry engagement, Ezisi called on government agencies, private terminal operators, and international shipping lines to work collaboratively with media and logistics stakeholders to execute lasting port reforms.
