The Aviacargo Roadmap Committee inaugurated by the Managing Director, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, Capt. Rabiu Yadudu has commenced inspection of export cargo warehouses at the Lagos airports.
The inspection is to witness first hand export processes, procedures and challenges associated with the export ecosystem.
The Committee had on Friday 31st March, presented an Interim report to the MD of FAAN and briefed on the progress made so Far and he approved the last phase of the project which is the inspection of the cargo processes at the cargo export warehouses.
According to the Coordinator of the FAAN Aviacargo Roadmap Committee, Mr. Ikechi Uko, during a visit to the Managing Director’s of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company, SAHCO, and the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company, NAHCOaviance, their job is also to draw up a plan to make Nigeria the number one in Aviacargo in Africa.
Mr. Uko explained that, the whole project of trying to create a template for aviacargo is to create more business for the handling companies and with the huge population,the country have faired badly, stressing that, the whole concept is to improve the processes and also to grow the volume and to do all of this,they needed to understand,the challenges and the mitigation of these challenges.
He noted that, they see no reason why a country like Nigeria with its population of over 200,000 million people, blessed with arable land, agriculture produce and the biggest economy in Africa cannot be one number in aviacargo.
”Why are not able to play at ultimal level, we also found that, we are the biggest economy in Africa, the lagest population but we are number five in aviacargo in Africa, the nation that is number one is at the same level, their GDP is same size with Lagos state. Why does a nation as big as powerful and as rich as Nigeria perform so badly?”.
”So we want Lagos or Nigeria to be the hub, we want Nigeria to be the number one respecting our economy, the size of the business, we are the biggest economy in Africa”.
Mr. Uko also mentioned that, the committtee have done a lot of work inside and have decided to come out to inspect and look at the challenges based on recommendation and now proffer solutions.
”Since Decemeber some of us have been meeting twice a week to make sure that, we collect all this information to present to the country, it is a national project”.
The Director, Commercial and Business Development, FAAN, Sadik Rafindadi said, FAAN is committed to ensuring that, export by air is seamless, free of any impediments.
He added that, at the end of the committee’s work, aviacargo exporters will have course to smile and it will encourage farmers to produce more for export and rake in foreign exchange for Nigeria.
Rafindadi said, what they are aiming at is making Nigeria the number one cargo center not just only in West Africa but the whole of the African continent.
The Managing Director, SAHCO, Mr. Basi while commending Capt. Yadudu for taking the initiative to set up the committee to address the export problems that many have failed to tackle said, the world needs what Nigeria have and the only way to do this is through air cargo.
He stated that unfortunatley, it is a thing of surprise that even as far as the nation has gone, all that is done is import, adding that, this is why, when they are building warehouses, the import places are larger because the nation is used to import and this is same at the seaport.
”There is no doubt there is money in this sector, it is just that, attention has been wrongly directed, where the money is, is actually in cargo. All over the world, we know that, cargo does not complain when you do the right thing, it will give you what you want. With our population of over 200m this is big, there are many great nations of the world that cannot compete with what we have as a country”.
Mr. Agboarumi commended the committee for a job well done and promised to give them 100% support to achieving their desired goals.
”I see a committee that is passionate, working and I see results being turned in, most of the time, I see documents being handed over, I see drive to the kind of changes that we need, to be in the highest position we all need to be as an industry”.
The Group Managing Director, NAHCO, Mr. Indriani Gupta, harped on an enabling environment in terms of policies, infrastructure and technoogy to bridge the gap.
”What we just need to put together is some of the key things which will have major impact, i quickly think of two, functioning of customs 24/7, i know it is a big thing to look at because it is a nationwide impact because it is a policy, that is something which will help a lot especially at an airport where we can push perishables, perishable means where they have shorter shelf life and if and any amount of shelf life that can be saved by way of reducing time in processing, it is a big help. The second one is technology”.
Highlights of the inspection was the tour of warehouses operated by the two companies were they where taken through the step by step stages and processes of export.
The committee members witnessed and inspected the movement of cargo for export in the two warehouses, packaging, storage facilities both dry and cooling for perishables and asked questions to get clarification.
The fact-finding inspection terminated at the customs Lagos airport office to solicit their cooperation in successfully carrying out this national project.
The committee are also expected to visit other cargo warehouse across the country and outside the country to ascertain how best the issues of poor export in Nigeria can be addressed.
