FAAN to tackle multiple cargo charges at airports, develop cargo bill of rights

The Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Kabir Mohammed at the weekend said the lingering problem of delays and multiple charges for cargo at the airports would soon be tackled.

He made the disclosure when the aviacargo roadmap committee visited him, assuring them that the observation and recommendation of the group would be implemented amid monthly briefing to Mohammed by the coordinator of the committee, Mr. Ikechi Uko.

In his presentation, Uko explained that they could not make presentations in the last months because of the field trip embarked upon by the committee, adding that the five-stage project plan had only two legs left to complete the job and sought the support of the MD to proceed with the remaining parts of the job.

This, he reiterated will include collation and report writing of the findings by Subject Matter experts.

 He identified ten points that have been identified by the committee for implementation.

 Among the highlights of his presentation is the FAAN Cargo Bill of Rights which guarantees the swift, transparent, and efficient handling of any goods that step into any Nigerian airport.

The designated cargo village he said would transform unknown goods to Known goods, lamenting that Nigerian exports are rejected because they are unknown and cannot be traced, stressing that the job of the aviacargo village is to transform Unknown or unsecured Goods to known Goods before export.

Nigeria has successfully implemented the International Air Transport Association (IATA) IOSA for Airlines and should establish a similar thing for players in the Cargo Ecosystem.

 He identified levels of registration and Certification needed for the industry starting from Farm Registration to Certification of Cargo Agents, Handling Companies, and freight forwarders.

Mohammed thanked the committee for its selfless commitment to the delivery of a new aviacargo environment in Nigeria

 He promised to support the development of new standard operating procedures for the operators in the cargo terminals in Nigeria, hinting that FAAN will also implement new Service Level Agreements that will overhaul the whole Cargo Operations in Nigeria.

 By implementing the Cargo Bill of Rights, the new SOPs, and SLAs the Airports will effectively become a corruption-free zone. These new measures will improve the integrity of the Exports from Nigeria and will reduce the rejection of Goods.

 The implementation of a new five-level of secure Supply Chain pathway will improve the quality of Aviacargo’s business in Nigeria as it cuts across the whole Value chain starting from the farms.

 Nothing will be accepted at the Airport that cannot be traced and did not pass through the pathway.

He said that FAAN management will join the Retreat for the final production of the report as it will mark the beginning of a new era for Aviacargo in Nigeria.

 The report was presented in the presence of the Director of Commercial and Business Development of FAAN Olumuyiwa Femi Pearse, General Managers, Business Development, and for Cargo, Hyacinth Ngwu and Kabiru Mohammed, respectively the Chief of Staff to the MD Barrister Kwasau and many other stakeholders.

Wole Shadare