SAHCO Makes Bold Statement With Appearance At ACI Africa In Abuja
The ongoing 35th Airports Council International (ACI) Africa Annual General Assembly, Regional Conference and Exhibition in Abuja has provided another opportunity for Nigerian aviation companies to showcase their capabilities to the wider African aviation community, with the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Plc (SAHCO) making a visible statement through its participation.
The ACI Africa gathering in Abuja brings together more than 500 delegates and over 40 speakers, sponsors and exhibitors from across Africa and beyond.
Held under the theme, “Next-Gen Airports: Driving Performance and Resilience,” the event is focusing on the future of airport development, operational efficiency, digital transformation, sustainability, passenger experience, safety, security and commercial development.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of Sahco, Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Adenike Aboderin affirmed that the company’s presence at the gathering goes beyond corporate visibility.
Dr. Afolabi said “Our appearance places Nigeria’s major ground-handling companies directly within a continental conversation about what the airport of the future should look like and the supporting services required to make such airports efficient, competitive and passenger-focused.”
According to him: “As a key player in Nigeria’s airport services ecosystem, Sahco occupies an important position between airlines, airports, passengers and the wider aviation supply chain. Our operations span passenger handling, baggage handling, ramp handling, cargo handling and warehousing, among other aviation-related services.”
“The company’s participation therefore provides an opportunity to demonstrate how ground handling is increasingly becoming an integral component of the airport experience rather than a largely invisible support function.”
The Sahco Chairman reiterated that the choice of the ACI Africa theme is particularly relevant at a time when African airports are under increasing pressure to improve efficiency while responding to passenger growth, technological changes, sustainability demands and the need for stronger commercial performance.
He said “the quality of ground handling, cargo processing, baggage movement, aircraft turnaround and passenger facilitation can significantly influence an airline’s operational efficiency and, ultimately, the passenger’s perception of an airport. This is where companies such as Sahco become important stakeholders in the broader airport-development conversation.”
He added that the ACI Abuja conference gives the company an opportunity to engage with airport operators, airlines, regulators, technology providers and other service providers on how the different components of the airport ecosystem can work together to deliver more efficient operations, adding that it is a statement about the place of Nigerian ground-handling companies in the future of African aviation.
“Under my leadership, Sahco has continued to position itself as an aviation-services company with an emphasis on professionalism, operational development and business growth. Our presence here presents us with an opportunity to showcase our capabilities, engage with industry peers and partners, and contribute to conversations about the next generation of airport operations. More importantly, it reinforces the company’s evolving identity as an important component of Nigeria’s aviation value chain.”
“As Africa’s airports move towards greater automation, improved passenger experience, stronger cargo systems and more resilient operations, the quality and efficiency of ground services will remain central to the success of that transformation.” he told journalists.
For a Nigerian company operating in an industry where international partnerships and airline contracts are crucial, such visibility can be strategically valuable as it also reinforces the message that Nigerian aviation companies should not be viewed merely as local service providers, but as potential partners within Africa’s increasingly integrated aviation market, the Chairman said further.
Such engagements according to him demonstrate that the Nigerian ground-handling market is increasingly connected to the wider African aviation market.
