The Managing Director /Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Airports Authority Of Nigeria (FAAN), Capt Rabiu Yadudu has reiterated the commitment of the management of the airport authority to restructure aviacargo business in Nigeria.
Yadudu made this known after an early morning tour of the cargo facilities at the Muritala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos on Saturday April 29, 2023.
The tour of the facilities was a fallout of the presentation of the third interim report by the Aviacargo Roadmap committee of the industry.
The coordinator of the committee, Mr. Ikechi Uko, organiser of the CHINET Aviacargo Conference had presented the third monthly interim report for the month of April.
In the presentation, the coordinator informed the Managing Director that the committee had done a tour of the cargo facilities at the international Airport earlier in the month and were not impressed with the conditions of the facilities
He said that the committee identified five areas that needed to be resolved by FAAN to improve the conditions in the area.
These included the export areas of both NAHCO and SAHCO that could be significantly improved based on the same organizations’ import areas. These EXPORT areas, he described as disorganized, chaotic, unkempt, dirty, and rowdy while the he likened the situation at the import to a modern shopping mall he said the Export Zones looked like “Aswani market or Oshodi” markets on a market day
The second infraction noted at the facilities according to the committee report was the improper and poor quality packaging of goods for export; which are also done inappropriately at the airport premises.
The third is the limited operating hours of the terminal which is better operating 24 hours to maintain the efficient flow based on the airport operating hours and the need for regulatory agencies to avail themselves, and reduce congestion during the active hours of airport operations.
He suggested that Nigeria Customs Service and others can work around the Clock so that Domestic Airlines can do regional Cargo at night while they ferry passengers during the day.
The fourth pain point is the lack of facilities for exporters to package their goods having failed to do so at their facilities before bringing them to the airport because of inspections and certification.
The fifth is the indiscriminate parking of vehicles all over the terminals and airport environment.
These issues the committee found can be resolved immediately while the aviacargo committee continues with the project.
After receiving the third interim report, Capt Yadudu decided to have an on the spot assessment of the cargo areas of the Lagos airport by himself.
Yadudu was accompanied during the tour by the Director of Commercial and Business Development, Alhaji Sadiku Rafindadi, the General Manager Commercial, Hyacinth Ngwu, the Chief of Staff and some members of staff from the commercial directorate.
At the facilities, Uko showed them the already identified lapses and the earlier suggested possible mitigations.
At the new Chinese Built Cargo Terminal, the FAAN CEO promised that with a few final touches the terminal will become a model for the new vision of Aviacargo in Nigeria.
He said the new cargo terminals in Port Harcourt and Abuja will also come on stream. He said with some minor amendments by the Government of Imo State, Sam Mbakwe Cargo Facility will also be integrated.
While Commending the Aviacargo committee, Yadudu pledged full and continuous suppprt, saying, “We are happy with the work you have done and doing. The quality of membership is notable. We at FAAN will look at the suggestions and start to implement those than can be implemented immediately, while we wait for your final report.
He continued, “We do not want an academic report. We all know the problems, we expect a strategy and steps to implement the report when you finally submit the report.
“Please see your effort as a national project that helps not just aviation but the entire nation.”
FAAN, he said, will soon solve the five problems identified by the committee…
He also promised that there will soon be a Multilevel Car Park to sanitise the environment. He said, once FAAN resolves some minor issues, the cargo terminals will be open for 24 hour operations.
On sanitising the export and processing sections of the cargo terminals, the FAAN boss promised that the management will soon announce a policy for improved packaging and processing of exports to make the export area look as clean and organised even better than the import area.
The tour took the team to all the projects embarked on by FAAN around the cargo terminals.
The Aviacargo Road map committee was instituted by FAAN to produce a guideline for the operation of aviacargo business in Nigeria. The Aim is to make Nigeria the number one hub for Aviacargo in Africa. Nigeria currently occupies the fifth position in African export business, far behind Kenya.
