In a landmark move to transform cargo export in Nigeria, especially around the Northern parts of the country, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and Plateau State Government on Wednesday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Jos into a premier food cargo hub.
Managing Director, FAAN, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku at the signing ceremony said as part of the move to place Plateau in its rightful place as one of the food baskets of the nation, the state government would provide financial muscle for facility upgrades, while FAAN delivers professional expertise, guidance and security at the airport.
According to Kuku, the partnership presents historic turning point in Nigerian agricultural exports and contributes to the plunging of N3.5 trillion worth of food that are perishing annually in the country.
“When N3.5 trillion worth of food perishes annually in Nigeria while global markets hunger for our produce, we know something must change.
“Today, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Plateau State Government, led by His Excellency, Governor Caleb Mutfwang, are joining forces to transform the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Jos into a premier food cargo hub. This is not just about building infrastructure – it is about building dreams, creating opportunities, and unleashing Plateau’s boundless agricultural potential onto the global stage. This partnership represents everything we believe in: the state government providing financial muscle for facility upgrades, while FAAN delivers professional expertise, guidance and security. It is a blueprint for the kind of collaboration that will drive Nigeria toward President Bola Tinubu’s vision of a one trillion-dollar economy by 2030.”, she said.
She however, urged cargo State holders to partner FAAN and Plateau by investing in packaging facilities, storage solutions, and transportation infrastructure that will connect the farmers to the world.
“To all our stakeholders watching this historic moment: the time to act is now. Plateau State stands ready with its rich resources, FAAN stands ready with its expertise, and the markets stand ready for our produce. We invite you to be part of this transformation – to invest in packaging facilities, storage solutions, and transportation infrastructure that will connect our farmers to the world.
“Today we’re not just signing an agreement – we are signing a declaration of economic independence for our farmers. We are not just upgrading an airport – we are upgrading dreams. When future generations look back at this moment, they will mark it as the day Plateau State began its ascent to become Nigeria’s premier food cargo hub. Today, we show the world that FAAN is open for business, that Plateau State is ready to rise, and that Nigeria’s agricultural promise is finally taking flight”, she added.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State expressed the hope that the partnership would be the begining of the process to unlocking the cargo potentials of the State, despite the challenges.
” We began the conversation over a year ago but today it’s becoming a reality. The Jos airport is one of the oldest airport in this country Jos is a regional hub for agriculture and other produce in Northern Nigeria. For years this plan has been on the drawing board to upgrade the Jos airport to an international Cargo airport and we are glad that finally, we have seen light at the tunnel.
“I want to thank Mr. President for creating the enabling environment for this kind of partnership to come into play. We began the conversation over a year ago and today it’s becoming a reality. We thank God for the political push from the President and the Minister of Aviation. But without the technocrats, this still wouldn’t have been possible . I therefore want to thank the MD a her team for rare privilege of her coming to the airport last year and since then, things have taken a positive dimension. I believe that what we are doing today is laying the foundation for a story that will be told in the future, that will be beautiful and excellent and will add value to Nigeria. We have every confidence that in the next couple of years , we are going to see this airport yield the desired revenue among other airports in Nigeria. The potential is huge , with all the challenges we are facing, there is a lot of commercial activities. “, he said.
Mutfwang noted that the deal with FAAN will complement the special agro processing centre which would soon he onboarded in partnership with Africa Development Bank.
“We are in the process of rebuilding the biggest market in West Africa destroyed by fire , therefore, Jos is going to become the centre of commerce in Northern Nigeria, this is the journey we have just begun, we are bordered by several states, last year we set up a Plateau commodity marketing company to become an aggregation centre for food produce and we believe that will complement the special agro processing centre which we will soon onboard in partnership with Africa Development Bank, before the year runs out. Close to the airport, we also have the dry land Port which we are discussing the development with the private sector. I believe that this partnership is quite promising and will hopefully yield the results the MD desires with the vision she has brought into her leadership in FAAN”,
