Cargo Generates N600m Annually for FAAN

 Cargo agents in the country have charged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), to take them seriously given the fact that they generate over N600 million annually.
Speaking at the One-day Cargo Symposium organized by the League of Airports and Aviation Correspondent (LAAC) in Lagos , Chairman of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agent (ANLCA), Mr. Livinus Agubuzor, said that the airport authority cannot make so much money from agents yet fail to provide them accommodation.
Agubuzor who was represented by the association’s image maker, Mr. Ambrose Eke said  the country receives a minimum of 286, 000kgs of cargo each day and about 9,000,000kgs passing through warehouses and the terminal building of the airport every month and that ANLCA account for N50 million every month.
He also said that because of the present challenges and inadequate equipment the Just in Time concept has been defeated.
“The country receives a minimum of 286, 000kgs of cargo each day and about 9,000,000kgs passing through warehouses and the terminal building of the airport every month.”
“The concept of Just In Time (JIT) has been defeated because most consignments incur storage charges or demurrage because there is not enough equipment to move cargo from airside to ware house.”
He also said that there is need to sanitize freight forward business through proper regulation and the need to give attention to and entrench professionalism in the sector.
Eke said that,”The Association of Licensed Customs Agents account for N50 million every month for the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and over N600 million yearly yet there is no shelter or accommodation for cargo at the airport.”
While reacting to the issues raised by the cargo agent, Chief Executive Officer of Selective Securities Int’l Limited, Group Captain John Ojikuti, said the problem with the cargo agents was touting and lack of coordination.
Another stakeholder, Captain James Bello (RTD) raised the question, ‘Why SAHCOL and NAHCO were not licensed agents stating that, that would effectively check the insurgence of touts brandishing licenses everywhere.
Managing Director of Skyways Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL), Isaac Orolugbabge said that there would be a clash of interest if SAHCOL was to takeover the business of the custom agents.
He said the cargo agents are their customers but called on the agents to clean up their act as 99 per cent of them flaunting badges and certificates were touts.