Established in 1985, the Ghana Institute of Freight Forwarders (GIFF) brought together 16 founding members and directors to help provide reliable resources for freight forwarding services across Ghana and the supply chain community. Whilst remaining in a close relationship with the government, parastatals and other institutions, GIFF continues to provide the highest standard of consultancy and services to its members and their customers. Therefore, establishing GIFF as a model for excellence across the global freight forwarding industry.
GIFF, previously known as the National Association of Custom House Agents (NACHA), is a non-profit organisation striving to benefit and enhance Ghana’s trade activities. Divided into 6 districts located at all the major entry points of the country, GIFF maintains a high level of professional conduct for its members throughout the districts by ensuring that each one is adhering to GIFF’s operational code of conduct. Furthermore, GIFF is crucially focused on promoting education and research to benefit the industry and put Ghana firmly on the map as a key player in the freight forwarding world.
For GIFF, education is at the forefront of its work to promote the freight forwarding industry in Ghana. Through the International Federation of Freight Forwarders (FIATA), GIFF has set up a Train-the-Trainer (TOT) programme which aims to provide its trainees with crucial skills for the freight forwarding industry. The programme works to develop the Ghanaian economy by making the graduates from the programme immediately employable in the industry, which not only benefits freight forwarding but keeps employment in the country. The programme will be the first on the continent to provide an internationally recognised freight forwarding course backed by FIATA. Therefore, through education in partnership with FIATA, GIFF is ensuring the future of freight forwarding in Ghana by building up a system to promote, educate and then retain the next generation of freight forwarders.
GIFF has launched a research hub to help in making decisions on freight forwarding trade both on the continent and internationally. President of GIFF, Edward Akrong said in a press release on the launch of the research hub “We are here today choosing the path of science, research as a veritable tool with which to buy our future. It does not look like we have any other choice but to take advantage of the opportunity the fourth industrial revolution presents. We are very well plugged in at the primary data source. The GIFF research hub is timely and critical for our sustainability”. As Akrong outlines, the introduction of a research centre allows the Ghana freight forwarding industry to not only develop internally but for it to play a significant role in the global development of freight forwarding.
Having been an active member of FIATA since 1997, GIFF is always promoting and operating in line with FIATA’s mission to unite the freight forwarding industry, assisting in vocational training for freight forwarding and promoting the interests of the industry towards development both in Ghana and across the world. A big part of GIFF’s mission is to provide a reliable resource pool of freight forwarding services for Ghana, which ensures that its members are recognised as a model for excellence in the freight forwarding world. Working with trade services and shareholders, GIFF actively operates to aid the international trade sectors of freight forwarding across the country and Ghana’s port, as they are the only partner to work with all the entities in the Ghanaian ports and maritime sector. Consequently, through GIFF’s overarching operations throughout all exports and imports in Ghana, they remain a crucial player in the evolution of freight forwarding in the cross-border trade markets too.
In conclusion, GIFF sets a level of excellence throughout its freight forwarding institute to promote the continued growth of Ghana’s economy through the industry. By focusing on education and research, GIFF is working to establish the next generation of freight forwarders that believe in maintaining the same level of excellence and continuing the legacy of freight forwarding success in Ghana. Therefore, GIFF has established itself as the leading association of freight forwarders in Ghana which crucially works to educate and then develop the industry towards the global freight forwarding services.
