The just concluded 3rd Chinet Aviacargo Conference themed ‘Unblocking The Logistics Barrier To Improve Cargo Products Exports’ had experts further identify why Nigeria still ranks low as a cargo exporter despite being topmost in farm produce.
Nigeria takes the fifth position in Aviacargo export in Africa with most cargo planes coming into the country leaving empty, no thanks to poor certification, adherence to seasonal farming, among others.
The experts bemoaned that 15 nation’s airports are designated cargo terminals but lack facilities to handle, store or export cargo, adding that most of them carry out just one flight daily.
To make Nigeria the topmost cargo destination in Africa and ensure that this is sustained, experts have called for collaborations, putting measures in place to ensure exporters have produce all year round and sticking to recommended standard practices.
A major concern was that most Nigerian farmers dwell on seasonal farming of cargo products posing a challenge to exporters to have regular cargo for export all year round.
Managing Director of the Asaba Airport Company, Mr. Christophe Pennick, speaking in this direction at the conference noted that Nigeria is actually blessed with a lot of produce to make it a strong cargo destination but that they were mostly seasonal foods, hence, exporters could not have a regular supply for consistent export.
He said: “Look, the export thing is affected by the fact that Nigerian farmers grow food in seasons and not all year round like most other farmers. For you to seriously be considered an export nation, you need to grow food all year round.
”Things like maize, mangoes, avocados can be grown year round but what happens here is that once they have saturated the local market after a month or two, they are gone and you don’t see them again till the next year.
”Exporters need to have something to export anytime they land their aircraft. No one will wait for a month or two before they can come and export. It’s a business and the aircraft will not sit on the ground.”
On his own part, the Director of Omni-Blu Aviation, Captain Kenneth Wemambu, pointed out that it is of importance that exporters of agro products give attention to the process of registration for their products ensuring that their farms adhere to recommended standard practices especially with respect to fertilizers.
He said these aspects of the export process need adequate attention to avoid the rejection of Nigerian cargo by other countries.
Commenting on the aspect of having only two equipped cargo airports, Executive Director, Airstream Aviation, Anny Chigbo, said only two of the 15 designated cargo airports can actually handle cargo, stating that even the two can only handle about 29 per cent of cargo.
As a result, according to him, proper handlers may not go into some of the other designated cargo airports because the numbers do not compute as providing things like cold rooms for storage in an airport that has no passenger or cargo traffic.
Also speaking, Managing Partner at Aether Consulting, Mr. Perceval Uwechue, stressed the importance of collaboration between agencies in the aviation and maritime sectors to minimise time wastage while maintaining the quality of the goods to be exported.
He noted that such collaborations were necessary especially as regards dealing with perishables like fish, which need to be exported in a fresh condition.
Uwechue urged the use of trawlers to transport the fish to cities with airports via which the cargo will then be exported. This can be applied in cities like Lagos, Warri, Calabar, Port Harcourt and Bayelsa, he said.
On the way forward, the Managing Director JOHDIC Resources Limited, John Ekeanya, while giving his presentation tagged ‘The Role of Logistics in Enhancing Seamless Cargo Export’ said equipping special-purpose cargo airport all over the country with the appropriate storage facilities and processing building silos, warehouses for agro products and manufactured goods would be a good start.
He also canvassed for securing the farms for farmers as well as improving the railway system to aid quick evacuation to internal cargo.
While presenting his paper, the Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, Mr. George Uriesi, raised hope on improving cargo export in Nigeria as he announced that Ibom Air was looking at going into air cargo in 2024.
The Conference was rounded off with presentation of awards to companies and individuals including Dana Air, Ibom Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc, Nigeria Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), and Kachi Laboratories among others.