The Coordinator of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN, AviaCargo
Road Map Committee and organiser of Chinet Cargo Conference and Akwaaba African Travel Market, Mr Ikechi Uko has disclosed that Nigeria loses $1billion annually to non certification of agricultural produce for export.
Disclosing this in Abuja at the FAAN National Aviation Conference (FNAC) 2023, at International Conference Centre, Uko stated that 80 percent of containers arriving Nigeria return empty
While out of every 10 containers that come into Nigeria laden with imports, only about 1 or 3 leave the country with
exports.
FAAN Aviacargo Coordinator noted that Nigeria is the largest producer of many Agro-products, yet it loses $1bn annually to non-certification of Agricultural produce for export.
In his paper presented at the conference in Abuja titled: Repositioning Cargo Operations Through development of Agriculture and natural resources in Nigeria, Uko stated that though Nigeria is already a leader in most Agricultural produces, it should target improvement in Agricultural practices.
He said Nigeria should invest in solving the huge logistic problems of Agricultural produces and enhance certification of farms and operators in the value chain.
Uko pointed out that Nigeria must insist on traceability of all exportable produce, tackle the mayhem at the export cargo terminals.
He said Nigeria must upgrade packaging of all exports, Incentivize the production of high value export crops and mitigate identified procedural and regulatory obstacles.
Uko said the recommendations have to wait until study is completed, report and strategy plans are submitted.
He observed that States and Federal agencies can start mitigation of the identified challenges and obstacles.
Coordinator of the Aviacargo roadmap listed the obstacles to agricultural exports to include, Non Compliance of Farmers to Internationally and Domestically accepted Standards,
Lack of Certification, Inability to Trace (Traceability), Lack of Access to International Markets, Lack of Knowledge on global requirements, Bureaucracy (Too many Government agencies and High cost.
Others are: Preservation and Packaging to global standard, Poor Logistics, Insecurity,Weakness of Supervision,
Poor Airport Infrastructure, Lack of Government support, Mindset/Attitudes,
Lack of skilled manpower, Taxes and Charges and Funding.
Managing Director/CEO, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC, Basil Agboarumi (3rd left); Managing Director, FAAN, Capt Rabiu Yadudu (4th left); Coordinator, AviaCargo Roadmap Committee, Mr Ikechi Uko (4th left); Managing Director of Mac Folly Limited, Chike Ogeah (far right) and other participants at the FAAN National Aviation Conference (FNAC) 2023 ongoing at International Conference Centre, Abuja under the theme, “Sustainability Of The Aviation Industry In Nigeria.
Uko explained that FAAN made a move by setting up an Aviacargo
roadmap committee which terms of Reference is to articulate action plans
that meet international best practice and assign timelines for facilitation of cargo processing at nation’s airports and to articulate guidelines that meet international best practice for Public-Private Partnership in developing modern cargo infrastructures andbfacilities for optimum air-cargo facilitation that meets destination Country’s standard.
He listed the four stages of the Aviacargo Roadmap to include: Initiation, Research, Collation and
Report.
According to him: “In 2021, the 5 biggest African exporting nations are: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Algeria and Morocco.
Collectively, that powerful cohort of African shippers generated over half (55.7 oercent) of the continent’s overall exports by value.
Nigeria is known to be No. 1 in several things like; Economy by GDP, Population, Agricultural Commodities.
But Nigeria is 5th on the African AviaCargo Export Chart after Kenya, Egypt, South Africa and Ethiopia.
