The installation of the Airfield lLght (AFL) on the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri,Imo State will be completed by the end of October,2023.
This was disclosed today by the Owerri Airport Manager, Mrs. Rejoice Ndudinachi, while welcoming the Aviacargo Roadmap Development Committee, who is on a fact finding tour of Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport in Owerri, Imo State .
She disclosed that the AFL is the priority project of the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, adding hopefully the project will be completed at end of October 2023.
She said that the airport has the highest passenger traffic in the South East outside Lagos and that today the airport is almost the highest in air cargo business.
Speaking further, the Airport Manager said that the Same Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri is strategically located and that the airport is close to both Ariaria and Aba Markets .
She added that people from Edo, Anambra, Cross River and other state are using the airport .
She expressed her belief that the airport can operate cargo terminal successfully,thanking the Governor for making a duty to fix the AFL
Ndudinachi commended the committee for coming to do a tour of the facilities at the Cargo Airport, adding that she is greatful and honoured that the Committee is here .
She prayed that God will make the air cargo business a success.
Responding, the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Ikechi Uko said that the Committee which was constituted by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria(FAAN) to look critically into the air cargo business in the country and proffer solutions towards moving forward.
He hinted that the air level of cargo business in Nigeria is at its lowest ebb and that part of the committee’s job is to see things itself by touring cargo airports across the country and identifying the challenge’s and potential there in.
To buttress his point, Uko said that
71 per cent of yam in Africa is produced by Nigeria but Ghana exports 95 per cent of all yam export on Africa but produces only 11 per cent
This, he said goes to show that all is not well with Nigeria air cargo system.
Citing another example, the Committee Chairman said that Ghana import eggs from Belgium,while Nigeria’s eggs are wasting away across the country.
He said that despite having close to 20 cargo airports in Nigeria
“Our goods are rotten when there are a lot of cargo airports everywhere,” he decried.
All these, he said necessitated the inauguration of the Aviacargo Committee.
According to him, “Unofficially, there are close to 20 cargo airports in the country . Almost all the states in the South have airports and almost all the states in the North have airports but we have not been able to use these airports to distribute cargo within the country .
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) feels that there is the need to take advantage of what we already have .It is not to something we need to go and bring but to distribute what we already have effectively and efficiently,” Uko said.
Speaking further, he said” Without domestic cargo we cannot do international cargo export . Unfortunately, we are very weak in international cargo.
The committee’s job is to indentify things we needed to be done and set guidelines to show where we are and where we want to be”
“The Committee Chairman lamented that some years ago Jos operated 25 flights but that today, the same airport is struggling to do one and the only one is a passenger flight
