Cargo planes to start departing Nigeria with exports – FAAN

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) yesterday declared that within the next few months, cargo planes will be departing from Nigeria airports fully loaded with goods that meet destination standards and acceptance.

Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN, Mr Kabir Yusuf, stated this when he performed the ground-breaking of the first Aviation Cargo Village at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos.

The Cargo Village to be sited on 2.7 hectares of land along the MMIA road would be a one-stop centre for processing, packaging, documentation, data processing and laboratory facilities for cargo exports.

The establishment of the Aviation Cargo Village was one of the recommendations at the first Aviation and Cargo Conference in 2021, codenamed “CHINET 21” which is being implemented by FAAN Avia-Cargo Committee.

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The managing director said establishing an Avia-Cargo Village was identified as one of the quick wins in addressing the rejection of Nigeria’s avia-cargo exports, and increasing exports and earnings.

Chairman of the Avia-Cargo Committee, Ambassador Ikechi Uko, said the cargo village building would be a great leap for Nigeria in its bid to emerge as the number one in Africa from the current 5th position in cargo exports.

He explained that the cargo village would be implemented as a public-private-partnership (PPP) project, adding that there would be export laboratories, packaging companies and other relevant bodies would be on ground.