The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has outlined a new strategy to reposition the country as the premier air cargo hub in Africa.
The plan was announced at a stakeholders’ engagement in Lagos themed “Building a World-Class Air Cargo Ecosystem.”
FAAN Managing Director, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, represented by the Director of Special Duties, Mrs. Obiageli Orah, said Nigeria has the capacity to anchor the continent’s cargo network and connect high-value goods, pharmaceuticals, and perishables to global markets.
She noted that years of infrastructure gaps and operational inefficiencies had limited the sector’s performance but said FAAN is shifting from isolated operations to a collaborative, partner-driven model.
The engagement, she added, aims to tap industry expertise and innovation to deliver shared solutions.
Kuku urged cargo operators, exporters, handlers, and service providers to support the reforms by identifying bottlenecks, improving facilities, enhancing automation, and raising service standards.
The goal is a secure, efficient, and profitable cargo system that supports agriculture, manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, and trade.
She assured that FAAN, under the guidance of the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, will provide policies and infrastructure needed to make Nigeria a strategic cargo gateway.
FAAN expressed confidence that sustained collaboration will help establish the country as the leading air cargo hub in West and Central Africa, with outcomes from the session guiding future policies and investments.
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen