What do clearing and forwarding agents in Nigeria do?

The question above is very relevant because for some jobs, the functions of the practitioner can be clearly deduced from the title. For example, Nurses are believed to among other things nurse patients back to health. Drivers drive cars. Other professions however do not lend themselves to this open clarity of functions. A good example is the Clearing and Forwarding agent, a role fast growing in importance in Nigeria as improvements in logistics infrastructure and  information systems have inevitably resulted in increasing global trade.

Quote
"globally USD 19 trillion worth of goods were exported during the year." 
-World Trade Organization (WTO). 2019

These imports were handled by Clearing and Forwarding agents!

Who are clearing and forwarding agents in Nigeria?
These are certified individuals or agencies registered with the Regulation of Freight Forwarding in Nigeria (CRFFN) that prepare and submit declaration of documents on imported items to the relevant Custom authorities.
  Although Freight Forwarding seems to cut into the same sphere of activity as clearing and forwarding, it's imperative to know that Clearing and Forwarding agents provide indispensable services at the start of importation as the Clearing and Forwarding Agent works to ensure goods are registered and shipped as required before leaving the exporting country to be shipped to Nigeria.

Clearing and forwarding agents specialize in clearing imported goods from the Customs Authority at the destination ports. Because they deal with Custom authorities, Clearing and Forwarding agents are also called Custom brokers.

Nurses nurse patients, Drivers drive cars. So what do Clearing and Forwarding agents do?

Roles of Clearing and Forwarding agents in Nigeria

Put simply, Clearing and Forwarding agents clear and forward goods. However much more goes into this process than meet the eye. A clearing and forwarding agent carries out very professional tasks that need to be regulated by the local country government in this case, Nigeria.

Some duties of clearing and forwarding agents in Nigeria include:

·         Documentation
·         Inspection and validation
·         Pipeline facilitation
·         Freight forwarding

Documentation
This is one of the most important clearing and forwarding tasks. Documents like Pre Arrival Assessment Report (PAAR) and form M or Bill of lading (BL) are needed to be prepared and submitted in the right format and in the right way before goods can be cleared for forwarding in Nigeria.

Improvement in ICT is trending towards countries adopting electronic data interchange (EDI) systems into which the required data is entered by the clearing agent. Progressive clearing and forwarding outfits comfortable with digital and over-internet services like Vagmon e-Grup& Logistics Ltd are the best clearing and forwarding agents in Nigeria.

Inspection and validation
In Nigeria, some imported items, especially drugs and consumables, must be screened by the regulatory bodies like NAFDAC or SON etc. for inspection and validation prior to clearing. 
It takes a really dedicated Clearing and Forwarding outfit to facilitate this process given that it's one of the most time consuming aspects of clearing and forwarding in Nigeria. Vagmon e-Grup& Logistics Ltd for example arranges for faster inspection of goods to reduce total lead time i.e. time interval between when goods are ordered and when they're available for use.

Pipeline facilitation
Take the entire process of importing goods as a pipeline of transportation and storage links through which goods move from port in this case, to you.
The role of Clearing and Forwarding agents in Nigeria is to reduce the length of this pipeline.
  This can be achieved by facilitating other steps leading up to transportation like documentation and inspection and validation.


Freight Forwarding
This is the most obvious role of clearing and forwarding agents in Nigeria and rightly so because it's the most visible.

Clearing and Forwarding agents know the country's routes better than anyone because of their experience in forwarding goods nationwide.

Also, because they are very familiar with the relevant port and Custom authorities due to years of camaraderie, Clearing and Forwarding agents face fewer haggles and delays in ferrying cleared goods from the port.

The verdict
Improving economies, cheaper cost of importation post Covid-19 and the rapid globalization has made the service of a Clearing and Forwarding inevitable for your next importation. Make it smoother by dealing with an agent that is well adjusted in Nigeria and has a track record or results.