FG moves to address low freight activities in Kano airport

The Federal Government on Thursday said it was set to proffer solutions to the challenges identified to be causing low airfreight activities at the Kano international airport.

Mr Hassan Bello, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), disclosed this during a One-Day summit on Airfreight in Kano.

The theme of the summit is: “Diversification of Nigerian Economy: Exploring the Potentials of Air freighting of Agro-allied Commodities Kano State in focus”.

He said that it was to draw attention to the growing opportunity in agricultural commodities.

Bello said that the state had exportable commodities, which includes gum Arabic, ginger, sesame seeds, baobabs, hibiscus flower and other perishable commodities.

According to him, the summit is very important to all stakeholders, especially shippers who ship their goods by air, as it serves as one of the avenues for bringing together both importers and exporters and other major actors in the Airfreight sector.

“The summit will attempt to proffer solutions to the already identified challenges and obstacles to Airfreight in the nation and Kano State in particular.

“The Summit is coming up at a very critical time in the economic life of our nation, we are all aware of the negative impact of dwindling revenue from the oil sector on the nation’s finances and the attendant economic distress.

“The federal and State governments, in response to this situation, are emphasising the urgent need to diversify the nation’s economy and move it from oil dependency to non-oil revenue earning,” he said.

Bello said that government policies, logistics, packaging, finance are part of the challenges affecting airfreight business in the country.

He, however, said that Shippers Council would meet all other relevant government agencies to address the issue affecting airfreight in the country.

However, Mr Toyin Olufade, Chairman Airfreight Stakeholders Forum, said that the forum’s aim was to move freight and export forward in this country.

He said that stakeholders must wake up the giant in them to increase the economy space by growing export and increase freight in the country.