Former Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) Plc, Dr Oluropo Owolabi, has called for urgent intervention to halt the conversion of international bonded cargo terminals into illegal car dealerships, unauthorised trading centres and commercial motorcycle parking lots.

Owolabi, who expressed concern over the deteriorating state of aviation logistics infrastructure in Nigeria, said the development was hindering the purpose of facilities designed to meet international standards and facilitate efficient cargo clearance.

Speaking at the SAHCO Cargo Stakeholders Forum held in Lagos yesterday, he lamented that modern cargo warehouses were increasingly being used for activities unrelated to their core functions.

He mentioned the SIFAX Bonded Warehouse as an example of a world-class facility designed to support efficient document processing, customs duty assessment, security clearance and prompt cargo release.

He said: “If you want to buy a good car today, you go to the airport cargo warehouse! That place is meant strictly for clearing goods, not for people to sit down and start selling like a sausage market.

“The presence of multiple government security and regulatory agencies at cargo terminals is one of the major obstacles to efficient operations. The overlapping activities of these agencies create unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks.”

According to him, while major international airports streamline cargo operations to minimise delays, Nigerian terminals often have as many as 10 different agency representations around individual consignments.

He regretted that the situation was complicating the customs documentation, immigration checks and inspections by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), leaving importers and cargo agents stranded despite paying the required handling charges.

Besides, Owolabi criticised what he described as jurisdictional interference in cargo handling operations, particularly involving the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

He maintained that customs authorities retained legal custody of goods in bonded warehouses until the necessary duties were paid and the goods released, while FAAN’s responsibility as airport landlord should focus on infrastructure maintenance and the collection of applicable ground lease fees.

Owolabi warned that the country’s aviation logistics system depended heavily on the specialised equipment and operational capabilities of private ground handlers such as SIFAX and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc.

He called on FAAN, security agencies and relevant federal ministries to restore order at cargo terminals, reduce unnecessary security presence and remove illegal vehicle dealerships, truck blockades and unauthorised trading activities.

He warned that failure to address the situation could further affect cargo clearance efficiency, airport access and the competitiveness of Nigeria’s aviation logistics sector.