THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has announced the resumption of direct revenue collection at the cargo terminals of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after a 15-year suspension.
According to FAAN, officials from its Directorate of Cargo Development and Services (DCDS) have been deployed to the cargo release points of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouses to oversee real-time monitoring of accrued cargo charges.
A statement by the airports authority, on Saturday, August 23, said the development followed months of stakeholder engagement led by FAAN’s Director of Cargo Development and Services, Lekan Thomas, and MMIA Airport Manager, Olatokubo Arewa.
The agency added that the process gained momentum after a high-level meeting involving FAAN’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Olubunmi Kuku, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and other key aviation stakeholders.
“For the first time in over a decade, FAAN officials from the Directorate of Cargo Development and Services (DCDS) are now stationed at the cargo release points of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouses to oversee real-time collection of accrued cargo charges.
“This strategic development follows months of stakeholder engagement led by FAAN’s Director of Cargo Development and Services, Mr. Lekan Thomas, and the Airport Manager, Mr. Olatokubo Arewa. The initiative received a major boost following a high-level meeting between the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN, Mrs. Olubummi Kuku, and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi,” the statement read in part.
FAAN noted that the initiative is being implemented in close synergy with the Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) Customs Area Command, headed by Comptroller T. Awe.
The collaboration, the agency said, has already started reducing revenue leakages and improving accountability in the nation’s air cargo value chain.
“This milestone is a testament to FAAN’s renewed commitment to operational efficiency, transparency, and inter-agency collaboration to enhance revenue performance and improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria’s aviation sector.
“The breakthrough at MMIA is expected to serve as a model for replication at other airports across the country, reflecting FAAN’s vision to optimise cargo operations and unlock new streams of value for the industry,” the authority said.
The ICIR reports that MMIA is one of Nigeria’s busiest airports and a major hub for both passenger and cargo traffic.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M