In its efforts to eliminate the incidences of rejection of Nigerian exports abroad and make Nigeria the leading Aviacargo exporting country in Africa, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has broken the ground for the construction of the first Aviation Cargo Village in Nigeria.
The ground breaking ceremony was performed by the Managing Director of FAAN) Mr. Kabir Mohammed Yusuf at Murtala Muhammed international Airport, Lagos on Monday.
The structure which will sit on a 27, 357. 137 sq metres (2.7 hectares) of land, will be a one-stop-centre that will house cargo processing, documentation, packaging and laboratory services.
Speaking at the event, Managing Director of FAAN Mohammed said, that it has been the determination of FAAN ed to ensure the country’s contribution to cargo export increased through its initiative.
Mohammed added that the Aviation cargo village which would be used as processing and packaging, documentation centre and offer laboratory facilities. would be executed through Public Private Partnership (PPP).
He explained that the decision to set up an Avia-Cargo Committee was taken by FAAN management in 2021 to address the challenges that hindered the country’s capacity to process enough cargo at the nation’s airports.
Regretted that despite her position as the giant of African economy, Nigeria has not attained her rightful position in Aviacargo Export, the FAAN boss however, assured that with the new steps taken, Nigeria would be at the top of the game very soon.
Yusuf said, “Avia-Cargo Village was identified as one of the quick wins in addressing the rejection of our exports, and thus, increasing our exports and earnings,” he added, ” by this ground-breaking ceremony taking place today, ladies and gentlemen, you can agree with me that FAAN management is truly determined to implementing your recommendations with a view to taking the rightful number one position in Avia-Cargo exports in Africa within the next few years.
“This Aviation Cargo Village, will be a one-stop-centre aimed a addressing most challenges militating against massive avia-cargo exports in our country. It will have facilities processing, packaging, certification laboratory services, data gathering for traceability of products and produces etc.
“You can be assured that in the next couple years, Cargo planes will be departing from our airports fully loaded with goods that meet destination standards and acceptance.”
In his speech at the event, the initiator of the concept and Chairman, FAAN Aviacargo Roadmap Committee, Ambassador Ikechi Uko affirmed that the project is a national venture to be driven through PPP Initiative, into which stakeholders in Aviacargo businesses would be invited to invest.
“We are going to invite the best players in the world to come here, so that this becomes a template, a sample that you can take to other airports in Nigeria”.
“Individuals will build, it wouldn’t be only FAAN, FAAN would just do the site management but FAAN would also have some of their properties here. Now that we have started, we are going to open it up to Nigerians who are in this business to come and invest”.
“It is a Nigerian project and the benefits is that, it will improve our capacity to export, you can vet, you can package, you can do everything, it is a One-Stop shop, so once it leaves here, it goes straight into the plane and it’s off,” Uko said.
Earlier in his welcome address to the event, the General Manager Land, Water and FAAN, Dr. Michael Olorunnisola who conducted guests at the event on a tour of the land said the area is very safe and conducive for the project considering its proximity to the city and the Airport environment.
