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Aviacargo Committee is a national project, not just aviation

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority Of Nigeria (FAAN) Captain Rabiu Yadudu has promised to restructure the business of Aviacargo in Nigeria.

He made this pledge after an early morning tour of the cargo facilities at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos on Saturday the 29th of April 2023.

The tour of cargo facilities resulted from the earlier presentation of the third interim report by the Aviacargo Road map committee. The committee’s coordinator, Mr. Ikechi Uko, who is also the organiser of the annual CHINET Aviacargo Conference presented the 3rd monthly interim report for the month of April.

In the presentation, Uko told the MD that the committee had done a tour of the cargo facilities at the international airport earlier in the month but were not impressed with the conditions of the facilities in five areas identified that needed to be resolved by FAAN to improve the conditions in the area.

The areas according to Uko 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 said were disorganized, chaotic, unkempt, dirty, and rowdy.

For Uko, the import areas looked like a modern shopping mall while the Export Zones looked like “Aswani market or Oshodi” markets on a market day. The improper and poor quality packaging of goods at the airport also caught the attention of the committee.

The third area identified by the committee 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 Customs and others can work around the clock so that domestic airlines can do regional cargo at night and carry passengers during the day.

The fourth point is the lack of facilities for exporters to package their goods having failed to do so at their facilities due to the need for inspections and certification.

The fifth is the indiscriminate parking of vehicles all over the terminals and airport.

These issues the committee syggested can be resolved immediately while the Aviacargo committee continues with the project.

After receiving the 3rd Interim report Yadudu proceeded to personally see the place for himself.

The FAAN MD was accompanied by the Director of Commercial and Business Development, Sadiku Rafindadi, the General Manager, Commercial, Hyacinth Ngwu amongst others. Uko showed them the already identified lapses and the earlier suggested possible mitigations.

At the new Chinese built cargo terminal, the FAAN MD promised that with a few final touches the terminal will become an example for the new vision of Aviacargo in Nigeria.

Yadudu dropped the hint that the new cargo terminals in Port Harcourt and Abuja will also come on stream while with some minor amendments by the state government the Sam Mbakwe Cargo facility will also be integrated.

Commending the Aviacargo committee, the FAAN MD pledged full and continuous suppprt to the committee, saying: “We are happy with the work you have done and doing.

The quality of membership is notable. We will at FAAN look at the suggestions and start to implement those than can be implemented immediately while we wait for your final report. 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 whole nation.”

Promising to solve the 5 problems identified by the committee, Yadudu revealed that there will soon be a Multilevel Car Park to sanitise the environment.

According to him, once FAAN resolves some minor issues the cargo terminals will be open for 24 hours.

The Aviacargo Road map committee was instituted by FAAN to produce a guideline for the operation of Aviacargo business in Nigeria with the aim of maming Nigeria the number one hub for Aviacargo in Africa.

Presently, Nigeria is number 5 in Africa far behind Kenya.

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