The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has directed operators of all cargo flights to find alternative entry points for their cargo rather than the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos.

This is because the cargo apron in Lagos is congested and there is no more space for aircraft to park and nowhere to keep cargo in that section of the airport.

FAAN has also advised the Nigerian Airspace Manager Agency (NAMA) to issue a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to this effect, informing cargo freighters destined to Lagos to divert flight to other airports.

The Authority said this had become imperative due to the congestion created by the backlog of cargo due to the two-week closure of the terminal by the Nigerian Customs Service.

In response to this congestion, some airlines had ordered their flights to stop coming to Nigeria and companies in different parts of the world that have goods destined to Nigeria have put the delivery on hold.

It is estimated that the cost of this infraction is put at over N2 billion as importers that spent huge capital to buy goods meant for sale during the Yuletide cannot clear these goods and those yet to be delivered would be delayed till after the season, so it is a great loss to their business.

FAAN said it had initiated measures to accelerate the clearance of these goods and return the situation to normalcy, adding that airlines and importers were advised to make use of alternative airports.

“The Authority is constrained to take this measure for the time being for the safety and security of all concerned. The inconvenience this might cause is highly regretted,” said the General Manager, Corporate Communications (FAAN), Yakubu Dati.

The Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Limited, Olu Owolabi, who lamented that operators, importers, handling companies and the federal government lost over N2 billion during the closure of cargo warehouses for two weeks, said that the decision to close the airports had damaged the image of the country overseas.

He urged the federal government to expand the cargo apron at the MMIA so that it would accommodate more freighters and cargo, remarking that Nigeria is a very big country with high volume of imports.

Commenting on the issue, the Managing Director, Prime Port Logistics, Port Harcourt, Femi Adewunmi, said that the Port Harcourt International Airport, Omagwa, had started serving as an alternative airport to Lagos in cargo delivery. He disclosed that before the present congestion, no freighter flew to Port Harcourt directly; rather, they landed in Lagos, discharged some cargo and brought the rest to Port Harcourt, but now fly directly. Adewunmi said that in one week his company handled over 500 tons of cargo in Port Harcourt.

“The present congestion of the cargo section of Lagos airport goes to demonstrate that Nigeria is never prepared,” he said. “This happens every year during Christmas and it is because we depend on only one port of entry and government is not developing other airports. What has happened has given rise to reputational damage of Lagos airport, so it is no more a monopoly; there is alternative airport in Port Harcourt.”

•Adapted from a THISDAY report.

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