Adoption of advanced technology is crucial to improving air cargo business in Nigeria, the Chief Executive Officer of Mainstream Cargo Ltd, Seyi Adewale, has said.
He called on the airlines, ground handling companies, the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to adopt state-of-the-art technologies to boost business in the air cargo sub-sector.
Adewale stated this yesterday, in his paper on ‘Harnessing Technological Advances to Improve Air Cargo in Nigeria’ at the 5th CHINET Aviation Cargo held in Lagos.
He explained that Nigeria is yet to properly harness old technologies, even as there were attempts to upgrade, upscale and marry new technologies with improved solutions.
The expert said the key regulatory institutions needed to have effective, real-time, all-time communication or reports with themselves to assure seamless, fast and efficient service to the end-user in the cargo sector.
The Mainstream Cargo boss stressed that the adoption of new technologies would lead to speedy service delivery, efficiency, lower costs of doing business, transparency and accountability in the system and ensure opportunities for fair competition in the industry.
He also stated that different technology solutions by airlines, inadequate tech communication between primary segments, resultant high charges to consignees, high running costs on airlines and customs’ slow clearing process are some of the current challenges militating against the growth of air cargo business.
He commended customs for the adoption of the B’Odogwu platform to generate a rotation number instantly, unlike in the past.
According to him, B’Odogwu allows reasonable savings to the airlines. He noted that operators no longer need to engage third-party agents to manage the interface with customs.
He also canvassed customs to ensure appropriate training and retraining for its personnel to be able to handle the new technology.
“Customs should not only train all their staff in the proper use of B’Odogwu, but also go further to conduct periodic tests to confirm user competence.
“Customs needs to resolve its energy infrastructure and needs to immediately overcome the present teething challenges in the effectiveness of B’Odogwu so that it does not appear to be a worse solution in the eyes of the public,” he said.
He advised ground handling companies and agents to procure high-grade and robust tech solutions to manage their respective transmission needs without excluding any information messaging to airlines and other parties.
He said airlines should also allow handling companies to improve their cargo tech platform, noting that at present, handling companies are overwhelmed with needless high staff numbers just to manage inefficiencies and the need to engage permanent staff to handle each airline’s own system.