By Sade Williams
The Managing Director, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Mrs Olubunmi Kuku has demanded urgent implementation of recommendations of the Aviacargo Roadmap committee, saying cargo business is great importance to the current administration.
She made the remarks during a meeting with members of the committee in Lagos on Wednesday.
“Give me a quicker schedule of implementation. Air Cargo is of Great importance to this Government. We want things done a little faster” , she said.
Coordinator of the Committee, Mr. Ikechi Uko had earlier briefed her on the work done so far. thanking the MD for meeting with the team and renewing the commitment of FAAN to the Successful completion of the project.
The Roadmap committee was set up in December 2022 to provide a roadmap to grow Air Cargo in Nigeria from the 5th position in Africa to Number One on the Continent.
These changes Uko said, disrupted the project as all meetings ceased until the team at FAAN settled in.
“Within this period FAAN implemented some parts of the suggestions made by the committee by creating a new Directorate of Cargo Development and Services. These changes at FAAN led to recent meetings between the Committee and the Directorate to streamline the activities between the two of them.
Among the outcomes of the meeting on Wednesday was the launch of a pilot project of Exports through four selected Airports.
“There will be a trial run of Perishables export from harvesting at the farm through the Lagos Airport in a timeline of less than 24 hours. There will be another Trial Run of Cereals through the Kano Airport. There will also a trial run of Exports through the Enugu Airport. The last Trial run will be from Jos Airport.
These trial runs are to test the effectiveness of the Air Cargo Pathway developed by the Roadmap Committee. The Trial Runs will involve the stakeholders of the Air Cargo Ecosystem..Other Agencies of Government including NEPC, NAFDAC, SON, NAQS, NDLEA and Nigerian Customs will all be involved in the pilot Projects. A sub-committee headed by NAQS representative was set up to strategize and fast track the implementation of the trial runs. The subcommittee was given two weeks to submit report.”, Uko said in a statement.
Meanwhile, earlier in the Aviacargo Committee meeting before the visit to the MD/CE of FAAN, the Director of Cargo Development and Services, Mr. Lekan Thomas was commended for the laudable steps taken so far to put into practice some of the action plans communicated to him during our meeting with him shortly after assuming office.
These include but not limited to his effort in insisting that the Cargo handlers in the Cargo terminals reduce the number of human traffic and pep up their processes in line with global practices.
