F E AT U R E Creseada Team members Moving delicate, valuable paintings and sculptures from Lagos to Bonhams in Brussels ONE TEAM, ONE CULTURE Nigerias Creseada International Limited has ambitious plans to connect Africa to the world, says its Product Manager Babajide Ayinde The industry has witnessed technologydriven changes for the better BABAJIDE AYINDE, PRODUCT MANAGER AT CRESEADA INTERNATIONAL LIMITED FF: Can you tell us a little bit about the history of your company? BA: Creseada International Limited was founded on 19 April 1985 as an indigenous customs broker in Nigeria. Today, it is headquartered in Lagos and has more than 150 employees across the company, offering end-to-end supply chain management solutions, including freight forwarding, warehousing, transport, customs clearing VAS and client reporting. Hands-on packers in action addition, the government is focusing its efforts on moving away from a mono-economy, with plans to establish six industrial parks and 109 special production and processing centres across Nigeria all of which bodes well for our business. FF: How would you describe your companys businessethos? BA: Dependable, driven, resilient and African. We are about integrity and professionalism, excellence and quality. We pride ourselves on exceeding expectations. We embrace challenges with experience and innovation one team, one culture: excellence and integrity. FF: What would you say are your main strengths as an organisation? BA: Operational and financial credibility for more than three decades with our deep market knowledge, assets, industry professionals and a proven track record of reliable and trusted service. FF: How has the countrys moving industry evolved over the past decade? BA: The industry has witnessed technology-driven changes for the better. For instance, Creseada operations benefit from faster and more efficient visibility of job declarations, and tracking of the status of customer shipments. There has also been an increase in regulatory compliance. FF: Why did you decide to join FIDI? BA: FIDI membership offers an opportunity to collaborate with similar quality-minded partners. We now have the Quality Management System ISO 9001:2015 and FAIMPlus accreditation. Both standards provide value to our customers. With the FAIMPlus accreditation, Creseada is poised to expand to serve Central and West Africa, reflecting our determination to be at the forefront of African opportunities and development, by connecting Africa to the world. FF: Where do you see your biggest opportunities for growth? BA: Political stability and government fiscal measures to encourage foreign investment are a positive for our business. As an increasing number of multinationals enter this region, the demand for relocation services rise. In FF: Finally, what does the future hold for your company? BA: Creseada is an indigenous freight-forwarding and supply chain management provider, with assets and industry professionals. We have carved a niche in the Nigerian market and we will be moving into Cameroon, Chad, Ghana and Central Africa in the next financial year. 92 FF290 pp92-93 New Affiliate Creseada.indd 92 WWW. F I D I . OR G 14/03/2019 15:10