The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has resumed direct revenue collection at the cargo terminals of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, in a move officials say will curb leakages and improve accountability in the aviation cargo value chain.
The exercise, which took effect on Saturday after a 15-year suspension, involves FAAN officials from its Directorate of Cargo Development and Services (DCDS) being stationed at the cargo release points of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouses to oversee real-time monitoring of accrued cargo charges.
FAAN said the initiative followed months of stakeholder consultations led by the Director of Cargo Development and Services, Lekan Thomas, and MMIA Airport Manager, Olatokubo Arewa.
The breakthrough, it added, was consolidated after a high-level meeting involving FAAN’s Managing Director/Chief Executive, Olubunmi Kuku, Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, and other key players in the aviation sector.
“For the first time in over a decade, FAAN officials from the Directorate of Cargo Development and Services (DCDS) are now stationed at the cargo release points of NAHCO and SAHCO warehouses to oversee real-time collection of accrued cargo charges,” FAAN said in a statement.
The authority explained that the collaboration with the Permanent Technical Committee (PTC) Customs Area Command, headed by Comptroller T. Awe, has already started yielding results.
“This strategic development follows months of stakeholder engagement led by FAAN’s Director of Cargo Development and Services, Mr. Lekan Thomas, and the Airport Manager, Mr. Olatokubo Arewa. The initiative received a major boost following a high-level meeting between the Managing Director/Chief Executive of FAAN, Mrs. Olubummi Kuku, and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi,” the statement read.
According to the agency, the measure is part of efforts to improve operational efficiency, enhance transparency, and strengthen inter-agency collaboration within Nigeria’s aviation sector.
“This milestone is a testament to FAAN’s renewed commitment to operational efficiency, transparency, and inter-agency collaboration to enhance revenue performance and improve the ease of doing business in Nigeria’s aviation sector. The breakthrough at MMIA is expected to serve as a model for replication at other airports across the country, reflecting FAAN’s vision to optimise cargo operations and unlock new streams of value for the industry,” it added.
