From Suleiman Idris, Lagos
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) yesterday disclosed that 13 airports have been designated as perishable cargo airports as part of strategies to transform the aviation sector into a major revenue earner for the country.
The airports which have proximity to food baskets region of the country will be developed with international standard perishable cargo facilities to enhance their operations.
The authority said based on expression of interest from the private sector and State governments, the following cities have been prioritized to host perishable cargo terminals.
They include Abuja, Akure, Calabar, Ilorin, Jalingo, Jos, Kano, and Lagos. Others are Makurdi, Minna, Owerri, Port Harcourt and Uyo.
A statement by Coordinating General Manager, Corporate Communications for the Ministry, Mr. Yakubu Dati, explained that state governments have also been encouraged to partner with the government to revive smaller airports, particularly for taxi operations, tourism and cargo operations which could benefit domestic and regional economic development.
"This is to enable them key into the over N250 billion naira 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", Dati said.
He said the strategy was 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.
The GM said European Union (EU) being the main market for African exporters, accounting for more than 40 per cent of total exports, followed by the US with 20 per cent, intra-regional trade represented only eight per cent of the total with South Africa as the leading exporter to the region with 21 per cent of the total.
"In recent times, the more dynamic destinations for African products are China, with 27.5 per cent annual average growth registered over a decade-long period and India, growing by 19.5 per cent 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".
He reiterated that the Nigerian aviation sector is establishing closer co-operation with Federal Ministry of Agriculture and State Governments for concerted and strategic focus on the efforts.
The post FAAN designates 13 airports as cargo terminals (http://peoplesdailyng.com/faan-designates-13-airports-as-cargo-terminals/) appeared first on Peoples Daily Newspaper, Nigeria (http://peoplesdailyng.com).
Peoples Daily Newspaper