The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) promises to develop five new international airports, and build improved cargo terminals at 12 airports across the country, as part of a bid to increase exports of perishables.

According to FAAN general manager Yakubu Dati, Nigeria needs to reduce its dependence on oil exports. Growers of products such as mangoes, peppers, tomatoes and lettuces are working with carriers to identify new export trade lanes.
Airfreight imports into Nigeria were more than four times the export total in the first half of 2012. “Cargo planes fly into the country and fly out empty,” Dati says.

West Africa has worked hard to avoid any possible repeat of the situation almost three years ago when the volcanic eruption in Iceland forced the closure of European airspace. Fruit and vegetable exporters saw their produce, normally flown to Europe’s supermarkets and caterers, lie rotting because of a lack of cold storage.

FAAN says private investors will be invited in to operate the new facilities, including temperature-controlled perishables stores, in one of Africa’s more liberalized aviation markets.

Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (Nahco Aviance), the former state-owned operator, led the way by inaugurating a new $17 million warehouse at Lagos International airport last fall. Nahco is now one of four licensed cargo handlers but still controls 75 percent of the market.

The new facility incorporates large cold rooms and freezers and a semi-automated handling system. Nahco’s chief operating officer, Norbert Bielderman, describes it as the largest warehouse of its kind in sub-Saharan Africa.

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13 Airports Now Cargo Terminals print
Published on June 19, 2013 by · 1 Comment
Thirteen airports in Nigeria have been designated as perishable cargo airports, authorities said on Tuesday, describing the move as a way of transforming the aviation sector into a major revenue earner for Nigeria.
The perishable cargo terminals would be located in Abuja, Akure, Calabar, Ilorin, Jalingo, Jos, Kano, Lagos, Makurdi, Minna, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Uyo airports.
“These airports which are in proximity to food baskets will be developed with international standard perishable cargo facilities to enhance their operations,” said Yakubu Dati, spokesperson at the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
Nigeria has 22 airports operated by FAAN, four of which are functional international airports. Africa’s most populous country also has a state owned airport located in Akwa Ibom State.
In addition, there are airstrips or airfields scattered around the country, built mainly by the Nigerian Air Force and multinational oil companies.
But only few of these airports have a perishable cargo terminal like the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, southwest Nigeria. The authorities said that must change.
Dati said state governments have also been encouraged to partner with the Federal Government to revive smaller airports.
He said the move is to enable them key into the over N250 billion annual air freight export market out of Africa.
“Countries like Kenya, South Africa, Benin, Cote d’ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Egypt are participating in the trading in commodities such as fruits, fresh fish, vegetables and flowers while Nigeria, which produces these produce in abundance, records zero participation.
“The strategy is therefore to create the much needed storage infrastructure in view of the large volume involved and to facilitate the evacuation of agricultural produce to domestic markets, in conformity with international standards,” he said.
The European Union (EU) is the main market for African exporters, accounting for more than 40% of total exports, followed by the US with 20%. Intra-regional trade represented only 8% of the total, with South Africa as the leading exporter to the region with 21% of the total.
In recent times, the more dynamic destinations for African products are China, with 27.5% annual average growth registered over a decade-long period and India, growing by 19.5% during the same period.
“The development of Economic Free Trade and Export Processing Zones will be targeted alongside cargo airports and afro-allied industrial clusters, based on local opportunities and the state’s competitive and comparative advantage in agriculture production,” Dati said.

This is a wonderful opportunity. Only if I had the capital to harness this.

As these cargo terminals are being built, the gov't (ministries of trade and agriculture) should ensure that EU and US standards of quality control are brought to bear on all agricultural produce aimed for export. Issues like use of pesticides, appearance and packaging should be settled well ahead of commencement of exportation of these produce.

And i hope they're also using this time to look for markets/buyers of our produce; so the countries concerned can send inspectors to ascertain our level of compliance with their standards before export begins in earnest!

IGBO-SON:
As these cargo terminals are being built, the gov't (ministries of trade and agriculture) should ensure that EU and US standards of quality control are brought to bear on all agricultural produce aimed for export. Issues like use of pesticides, appearance and packaging should be settled well ahead of commencement of exportation of these produce.

And i hope they're also using this time to look for markets/buyers of our produce; so the countries concerned can send inspectors to ascertain our level of compliance with their standards before export begins in earnest!

Good point...

Why is this thread not on the FP yet.

solomon111: Why is this thread not on the FP yet.

because

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