Concerns Over Proliferation Of Agro-cargo Airports

In Nigeria, Air cargo is operating sub-optimally due to Nigeria’s low exportation drive. Nigeria is an import dependent country and to run the manufacturing sector, it relies solely on imported raw materials and finished goods to run its economy.

Due, to its over-reliance on import, cargo planes most times, leave Nigeria empty after coming with fully loaded import into the country.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), air transportation recorded 0.52 per cent share of domestic export and 4.8 per cent share of total imports. The overall statistics, indicated that most airplanes bringing cargo into the country leave the country with little or no cargo, depicting excessive imports and minimal exports.

However, most exported cargoes are agro products and minimal finished goods. The NBS has stated that most finished cargoes exported out of the country are basically goods imported and re-exported as produced from country of origin through Nigeria to other countries.

According to aviation experts, re-exported goods are goods of foreign origin which entered Nigeria to be consumed but are subsequently sold to another country without any substantial transformation. In other words, they are exported in the same condition they were imported.

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But, despite this minimal export and low revenue the country is generating from exportation of aviation cargoes, state governments are queuing and falling over themselves to build agro cargo airports in their states.

The premise for building these airports is to facilitate export through aviation sector which experts have faulted and described as white elephant projects.

As at last count, over 13 airports are designated by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), as perishable export terminals in the country and only Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, Abuja and Owerri are functioning optimally.

Despite the inability of previously launched cargo airports to deliver improved value to Nigeria’s GDP and economy, state governments across the country still investing heavily on the cargo airports despite other pressing needs for infrastructure and social amenities in their respective states.

For instance, states like Benue, Akwa Ibom, Ondo, Ekiti, Anambra, Kano, Kwara, Rivers, Taraba, Ogun, Niger, Nasarawa, Yobe and Plateau have either completed or construction still ongoing on their Agro-Cargo Airports.

However, most of these states are lacking in provision of social amenities such as goods roads that would facilitate agricultural produce from farms in the hinterlands to connect the airport for export of the generated agro cargo. Also, people in most states where governors embarking on this landmark project lack access to functional pipe borne water, qualitative education to build manpower, health and importantly payment of workers’ salary.

According to rural farmers in Ogun, the lack of access roads, which is a ubiquitous challenge nationwide, prevents farm settlements from moving their produce safely to nearby towns and cities.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, an aviation expert, Bankole Bernard, described the construction of Agro-Cargo Airports by various state government in the country are misplaced priority.

Bernard, who also doubles as the group managing director, Finchglow Travels, said it’s about setting priority right.

Bernard’s speaking against the backdrop of the proliferation of Agro- Cargo Airports by state governments across the country and its sustainability in view of the current economic situation, said, “To me, that is another misplacement of priority. Agro-cargo airport is a capital project and it is easier to make money and name when you embark on a capital project. None of them wants to come in and continue on any legacy project not completed by their predecessors because the people will ask you ‘what did you do?” he said.

“You cannot be in a state where all the interstate roads are bad and Agro-Cargo Airport is the priority. You cannot be in a state where all the schools are mushrooms and teachers’ salaries are not paid, then, Agro-Cargo Airport is what is important to you. Can we get our priority right? The government needs to get their priorities right. The concept is a beautiful one, but it is about setting priority right,” Bernard stated.

Also speaking, the president, Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ARTI), Gabriel Olowo, lamented proliferation of agro cargo airports by state government when intra and interstate road linkages to the airports are in deplorable states.

Olowo wondered how such airports would be useful to farmers and other users to deliver their products when the roads are in deplorable states.

Olowo emphasised that airports are not only expensive to build but also expensive to maintained

He submitted that there must be short and long term enforceable plan by succeeding governments before embarking on airport development if government were to be a continuum, saying one governor quitting and another abandoning the project such as revealed during the launch of Ogun state agro airport runway is lamentable.

He said: “For Lagos Airport for instance to become a hub, first class and world-class airport transfer connection facility is necessary.

should be built to connect the terminals rather than allowing transit and or transfer of passengers.

Regarding cargo airports, the roads to take the products to the airports are either not available or in bad shape with high propensity for trucks to tumble and perishable goods destroyed. Explosive goods will also explode, day old chicken and eggs massively destroyed.

“States should put their heads together for the establishment of safe, functional and durable inter-state road linkages first rather than conceiving the idea of a new agro Aerodrome. The airport in the western region of Ibadan and others like that are still operating below capacity. The geographical neighbouring states should cooperate on road & rail linkages and upgrade the airport to a world class standard for the service of Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, etc rather than individual state effort at establishing own airport. Its Bad economics if airports are to deliver economic of scale.”

“Airports maintenance are not cheap and must be done routinely. All we need is to make an effort at turning the existing ones (proper enhancement) into hubs. There must be deliberate effort to develop hubs and not by building non-functional airport silos all over the states overstretching the already stressed treasury,” he added.

Olowo, however, charged government to provide basic amenities for their citizens rather than building white elephant project that required huge amount of money to build and maintain.

“Government should priortise the need of the people ranging from basics of life such as food, shelter, health, education etc. Airport construction goes beyond acquiring hectares of land without perimeter fencing, compromising safety of operations ab initio, construct substandard runways that will be washed away in one or two raining seasons. It is a highly capital intensive project that should be embarked upon after a robust bankable projection. No thanks to the many abandoned airport projects by the states that are yet begging for funding, a case study of the State of Osun,” he concluded.

Also speaking, a partner at Avaero Capital Partners, Sindy Foster, emphasized that new airports in Nigeria should provide a huge economic advantage rather than being used as political ploys.

She said, “to get these airports working, states need to prioritise building and completion of airport agro-infrastructure as well as multimodal infrastructure to create value for airlines and shippers alike, while meeting evolving cargo standards. For airports in agricultural regions such as the new Ogun State Cargo Airport, state governments should lead policy strategies to ensure the agricultural investments and the cargo airports enjoy mutual support,” she stated.