The Federal Airports Authority (FAAN) Tennis Club in Ikeja has urged the nation’s sporting authorities to renovate all of its facilities in order to promote the growth of sports.
The first aviacargo community in the nation is being built by the federal government, via the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
According to FAAN, this strategy is intended to turn the nation into an export-driven economy and a centre for agro-export in Africa.
All of the airport’s export operations may be accommodated in the cargo town, which has a 27,000 square metre land area.
Since the country’s air freight system was established, Vanguard had observed, despite the availability of commodities domestically, successive governments had failed to encourage more export by air.
Given that most planes depart the country with little to no passengers on board, a reflection of the evolution reveals that the sector’s percentage of total commerce volume appears appalling.
However, in response to the development, the Managing Director of FAAN, Mr. Kabir Mohammed, said during his speech at the ground-breaking ceremony that creating an aviacargo village was one of the quick wins in addressing the rejection of Nigerian agro-export and boosting the nation’s exports and earnings.
He explained: “The cargo village, one of the ideas put out by the FAAN-established aviacargo road map committee, is intended to speed up the nation’s agro-export process and provide a smooth operation from the farm to the aeroplane before it is sent overseas.
“You can agree with me that FAAN management is sincerely committed to implementing your recommendations with a view to assuming the legitimate top spot in aviacargo exports in Africa within the next few years by witnessing this ground-breaking ceremony taking place today.
This cargo hamlet will be a one-stop shop for dealing with the majority of issues impeding our nation’s large-scale aviacargo exports.
Facilities for cargo processing, packing, certification, laboratory services, data collection for product and produce traceability, etc. will be available.
“You can be confident that in the next couple of years, cargo planes will be leaving from our airports fully loaded with goods that meet destination standards and acceptance.”
The ground-breaking ceremony is a minor step for the agency and the committee members, but a big step for Nigeria, according to Mr. Ikechi Uko, coordinator of the Aviacargo Roadmap Committee.
“I’d like to take this chance to express my gratitude to FAAN’s management team for their efforts. For those of us present, this is a modest step, but it represents a giant stride for Nigeria and FAAN. We should be number one in Africa, but instead we are number five. As of today, the quest to becoming the continent’s top aviation freight hub has begun.
“I applaud the Managing Director for seeing this through to completion and the entire committee for their support of this project from the beginning. And there will be proof of what we did today when we return here the following time.
