Photo Caption:
L-R: Mr. Shalangwa (FAAN); Ayo Ife Lewis of Greater Washington; Hycienth Ngwu (FAAN); Alex Nwuba, President Aircraft Owners Association; Sadiku Rafindadi Director (FAAN); Kingsley Nwokoma, President AFARN; Capt. Rabiu Yadudu, MD FAAN; Ikechi Uko, organiser CHINET; Obiora Udoyen (FAAN)
The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, has charged aviation cargo professionals in the country to help drive the nation’s aviation cargo roadmap.
Speaking at the inauguration of the committee in Abuja recently, Capt. Yadudu stated that the decision to set up the Committee was muted by FAAN management to address the challenges idntified to be hindering its capacity in processing enough Cargo freighting in the nation’s Airports.
Yadudu tasked the committee which has Mr Ikechi Uko, the organiser of Akwaaba African Travel Market and CHINET Aviation Cargo Conference as the coordinator to submit their report within the first quarter of 2023.
He maintained that the challenges were articulated in the Communique issued at the end of the first Aviation and Cargo Conference in 2021, codenamed “CHINET ’21 and reechoed in CHINET 2022.
In the words of the FAAN MD, “because these challenges were identified by the various organizations represented in this Committee, I am about to inaugurate. My happiness is doubled or even tripled because looking at the array of names that constitute the membership of this Committee, I have no doubt, we made the right choices.”
Yadudu expressed optimism that as experienced Professionals in Cargo value chain, they will drive the development of an implementable Aviation Cargo Road Map that will address the identified challenges with a view to moving the cargo business from the level we are currently, to a desired sustainable level in the short- to long-term.
FAAN MD noted that it is the belief of FAAN that the committee’s road map guideline will be able to address the ways by which the nation aviation cargo processing and facilitation will increase in volumes to rank the country among the first or at least the second in Africa before or by the year 2027.
According to Yadudu: “Currently, we are in the fifth position in Africa, having facilitated only 204, 649 Tons of Cargo in 2021. The first airport, facilitated only 363,204 Tons in the same year. And in Domestic Cargo we facilitated only 8,895 Tons in 2021.
By our projections of 25 percent on year-on year incremental basis, we expect to be ranked first or second in Africa by or before the year 2027. With you, certainly, we can achieve this.
May I inform you that most administrative bottlenecks identified by the various organizations are being considered at the Ministerial level. I can assure you that administrative challenges already identified will be rectified for more efficiency in our operations and logistics”.
The committee’s terms of reference include:
To articulate action plans that meet international best practice and assign timelines for facilitation of cargo processing at our airports.
To articulate guidelines that meet international best practice for Public-Private Partnership in developing modern cargo infrastructures and facilities for optimum air-cargo facilitation that meets destination Country’s standard.
To articulate programs and incentives that will encourage mass participation of local airlines in domestic cargo facilitation.
To articulate mechanisms that will bridge the Turn-around time in cargo facilitation
To articulate solutions to lack of adequate insurance coverage in the cargo value chain and any other suggestions that may help the Authority to achieve the desired goal in cargo business in
nation airports.
