Aviation Cargo: FAAN Projects Nigeria’s Ranking As A Best In Africa, 2027

The Managing Director, Chief Executive of Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Capt. Hamisu Yadudu says the country targets to be ranked first or second in Africa by or before the year 2027 on air cargo volumes.

In the speech he made while inaugurating Aviation Cargo Roadmap Development Committee, Yadudu said: “I am convinced that as highly experienced Professionals in Cargo value chain that you 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.
It is our belief that your road map guideline will be able to address the ways by which our aviation cargo processing and facilitation will increase in volumes to rank us among the first or at least the second in Africa before or by the year 2027.
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% 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.”
He said the the decision to set up this Committee was muted by FAAN Management to address the challenges identified to be hindering capacity in processing enough Cargo freighting in Nigeria’s airports.
“These 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. I am happy today, 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,” he said.

The committee is expected to submit its report within the first quarter of 2023 and is being Coordinated by Ikechi Uko. With the Secretariat domiciled with the Directorate of Commercial and Business Development, FAAN.
Terms of reference include o 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 to offer any other suggestions that may help achieve the desired goal in cargo business in Nigeria’s airports.