How Lagos Airport Is Well Positioned To Be A Major Cargo Airport
The Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of Ibom Air Limited, Mr. George Uriesi says the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos “is already in a vantage position to be a major cargo airport, if the right steps are taken.”
Speaking at the 4th CHINET Aviacargo Conference held at Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on August 22, 2024 on the topic, “The Role Of Airlines In The Development Of Air Cargo,” Uriesi said in 2022, the top five cargo airports in Africa were Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi with 363,204 tonnes of cargo, Cairo International Airport that processed 333,536 tonnes, O R Tambo, Johannesburg that processed 304,018 tonnes, Addis Ababa Bole which processed 226,417 tonnes and Murtala Muhammed International Airport Lagos, that processed 204,649 tonnes. He said apart from the Lagos airport, the first four airports in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Addis Ababa and Cairo had common features of strong, home base carrier, close consultation and co-operation with exporters, close consultation and interaction with airlines and excellent cargo storage and processing infrastructure.
According to him, lessons for Nigeria are that “Lagos is already in a vantage position to be a major cargo airport, if the right steps are taken. The lack of consultation and co-operation between the key stakeholders has left us uncoordinated (airports, airlines, handlers, customs, potential agro-exporters, etc). As a result, everyone does what they wish to. There’s no strategic plan for air cargo development into which every party keys in and from which every party would benefit greatly. We cannot wobble and stumble into a successful air cargo business in Nigeria.”
He said Nigeria’s ‘potential’ in aviation continues to be self stifled by the lack of a co-ordinated air cargo development strategy that defines not just the imported cargo to concentrate on, but which strives to develop and build an export cargo market, which is badly lacking.
“Nigerian airlines hardly partake of the available cargo market and have no input in the development of cargo infrastructure and handling/clearing processes. A shame! This way, we will not grow to become a competent competitor in the continent. Again another shame!!!.”
On what to do, he said: “There’s been the first real effort to bring interested parties together through the Aviacargo Roadmap Committee, co-ordinated by Mr. Ikechi Uko. We (I mean most of the industry), have sat and watched them operate with FAAN quietly, largely from a ‘sidon look’ position. This is no longer good enough as they have demonstrated seriousness and stayed the course. This effort is capable of leading to bridging the critical gap that has kept us sub-optimal. It now needs to be strongly supported and encouraged by all parties with an interest in developing a Nigerian air cargo market.We can change the game in Nigeria if and when we really want to…It’s about having the will. If and when we eventually do have the will, we will make the way!.”
