By the time the project of the first aviation cargo village in Nigeria will be completed, the story will not be complete without mentioning Ikechi Uko, the personality through whose playform the noble idea was conceived and became a reality.
Ikechi Uko, a Nigerian travel business consultant, travel promoter, tourism development expert, media consultant, who is also behind the popular annual African travel market, Akwaaba, the first international travel fair in West Africa, is known to have used the different programmes to contribute his quota to the growth of aviation and tourism in the sub-region.
Besides these organized annual conferences, Ikechi is equally the masquerade behind the Abuja Bantaba, Accra Weizo and also Port Harcourt Bantaba where all travels and tourism professionals gather periodically for networking and exchange of business ideas for the advancement of aviation and tourism and seamless travel in West Africa in particular.
The level of participation at the different programmes by relevant bodies and indiduals from across Africa, coupled with the outcomes of deliberations at the end, have contributed in no small way to the development of the travel and tourism sector in view of the robost ideas that are regularly generated by the various government bodies and individuals that attended.
It is therefore, not surprising that the annual cargo conference, otherwise known as Chinet Aviacargo Conference, another platform still set up by Ikechi to help develop a road map that will help drive export and turn the country into a cargo destination is gradually yielding good fruits, thanks to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), the government agency saddled with the responsibility of making the Airports suitable for the movements of cargoes and humans for its total support.
Through the Chinet Aviation Cargo Conference whose third edition is coming up between August 9 and 10. 2023 in Lagos, Nigeria is at the verge of taking its position as the number one cargo hub after the rigorous work so far done by the Aviacargo Roadmap Committee made up of different professionals from different backgrounds established and being backed up by FAAN .
The communique from the year 2022 second edition of the Aviacargo conference led to the creation of an Aviacargo Roadmap Committee by the FAAN to help develop a road map to drive export and turn the country into a cargo hub.
Agreements reached by participants at the end of the two editions of the cargo conferences which have set the pace for Nigeria to key into the abounding potential it has in the area of cargo business has recorded a huge leap following the laying of the foundation for the first Aviacargo Village at the international wing of the Muritala Muhamed airport by the FAAN MD, Kabir Mohamed in conjunction with Ikechi as the national coordinator of the Aviacargo Roadmap Committee.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony which the FAAN MD described as
the beginning of a new phase in Avia-Cargo facilitation in the country’s airports, he recalled how the decision to set up an Avia-Cargo Committee was taken by FAAN Management to address the challenges that hinder Nigeria’s capacity to process enough Cargo in its Airports.
According to Kabir: “These challenges were identified and articulated via the Communique issued at the end of the first Aviation and Cargo Conference in 2021,codenamed “CHINET ‘2 1. Establishing an Avia-Cargo Village was identified as one of the quick wins in addressing the rejection of our avia-cargo exports,and thus, increasing our exports and earnings.
“By this ground-breaking ceremony taking place today, 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.”
The aviacargo village when completed will have facilities for processing, packaging, certification laboratory services, data gathering for traceability of products and produces that will make Cargo planes departing from the country’s airports fully loaded with goods that meet destination standards and acceptance.
The designation portion for the Aviacargo Village is measuring 27.357. 137
square metres.
In his remarks at the event, the national coordinator of the Aviacargo Roadmap Committee, Ikechi described the ceremony as a small step for the organization and the committee members but a giant step for the country.
According to Ikechi: I want to use this opportunity to thank FAAN, the management staff, for what they have done. This is a small step for those of us here but it is a magic leap not just for FAAN but for Nigeria. We are number five in Africa when we ought to be number one and this today starts the journey to number one aviation cargo hub in Africa. The next time we will be hers, there will be evidence of what we have done today”.
By the time the cargo village will be completed, Nigeria with the volume of goods and Agro-products available therein will not only witness great transformation but will enjoy global patronage as such goods will be made to pass through all required testing to meet specified international standardization.
Presently, Nigeria is the leading producer of many agro products but does not export much of these produce owing to many challenges including the logistics problems between the farm and the airport.
As all hands are on the deck to witness the completion of the cargo village, Ikechi and other drivers of this essential part of air transport business in Nigeria will always be remembered for their proactive efforts.
