SAHCOL Seeks Govt’s Support in Developing Africa’s Air Cargo Hub

Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL), fastest growing cargo handling company in West Africa, while appreciating the on-going transformation in the nation’s aviation industry also believes that more efforts are needed in the quest to make Nigeria the air cargo hub in Africa.

Speaking on Wednesday during the Company’s press conference and facility tour of the ultra-modern cargo warehouse in Lagos, Mr. Oluropo Owolabi, managing director of the Company, said that, the areas that require government’s viz a viz Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) attention include expansion of the cargo tarmac, exemption from spare parts wavers as given to airlines, among others.

Owolabi who appreciated the efforts of Princess Stella Oduah, minister of Aviation in moving the industry forward, stressed that the bond that has endeared the government and the private sector to each other should be heightened for the benefit of the country, especially in the nearest future.

“For instance, the expansion of the cargo tarmac will benefit both us the private sector, the clients and the government. There is no how the tarmac will be expanded that it will not increase the revenue of the government,” he noted.  

According to him, SAHCOL needs “assistance from FAAN in those areas in order to complement the work the minister had already done. This is to allow us join hands in moving the industry forward.”

He opines that the Cargo tarmac expansion was earlier awarded to a contractor but was left undone,

“When you know there will be much gain for the sector, projects like this should not take the government much time and much money to expand the tarmac. The tarmac needs to be fixed,” the SAHCOL chief stressed.

He added that as investors in the sector and taking into consideration the nature of the cargo job and the equipment on ground, “sometimes we do 45 minutes turn around depending on the needs of our clients.

The minister should assist in ensuring that the waivers is corrected so that there can be improvement on our own part. There is no gain in investing and not having good turnover,” he said.

However, on expanding the cargo business internationally, Owolabi told aviation journalists that the company is willing to expand to an extent where they can operate at any given temperature level, be it raining, sunny or when the weather is dew. “We want to be recognized for the best internationally,” he said.

The MD also showered encomiums on Dr. Taiwo Afolabi, chairman of the company and other board of directors of SAHCOL for assisting the company to reach its present level.

Meanwhile, during a facility tour of on-going 20, 000 sqaure meter warehouse project, by the management of the company, Muhammed Mahmoud, the project supervisor, described the warehouse as will have 18 loading bays, cold room/freezers, among other automated machines to be installed.

Nigeria CommunicationsWeek recalled that construction of the first phase of the project, apparently, on 15,000 square meter site, started in May 2012.