Page 24 - STAT November 2022 for Magzter

INTERVIEW

How can Nigeria

OVERCOME STUNTED

GROWTH AMIDST

HUGE RESOURCES?

Nigeria’s air cargo and ground handling sector has huge potential, laced with
challenges, as regional transport and trade liberalization gears up. Basil
Agboarumi, Managing Director of SAHCO, one of Nigeria’s biggest ground
handling companies, explains in this exclusive interview with Roy Ezze.

? As year 2022 rounds off, how would
you describe the aviation cargo and
ground handling industry in Nigeria
vis-à-vis recovery from Covid-19 of
2020/21?
We began the recovery path after the
lockdown was lifted and people developed
confidence in the aviation industry. In
2022, the aviation industry went on to full
recovery and passengers started to fly and
there was also an increase in the volume
of cargo. Due to Nigeria’s unique nature,
cargo has been suffering a major reduction
due to the economic situation and foreign
exchange. Cargo is driven by foreign
exchange and it has been grossly affected by
its unavailability. Exporters and aviation experts have
? Nigeria’s low level of exports ? lamented the rejection of some
contributed to the limited inflow of export commodities from Nigeria, how
foreign exchange into the country, would do you think Nigerian exports could be
you say Nigeria’s air cargo export has improved in this regard?
increased in 2022? Every country has its policies, for your
We can actually say export is growing export to be acceptable, you have to be sure
in Nigeria, we are learning the ropes. of having a system in place that will ensure
Nigeria is an import country and export full compliance to the rules of the country
is beginning to grow. There are so many you are exporting to. As long as we don’t
things to grow to gain the benefit of export. do this, it will be rejected. Also, packaging
The government has a role to play to ensure is very important. The government has to
policies are put in place to bind the export put in place a structure that ensures that
chain together. If export works, it will be whatever to be exported
another way to get foreign exchange into meets the right standard.
Nigeria. It is growing at a slow pace. Our International trade aligns
export packaging is not there yet and some with international best
of our farm products cannot be exported, practices; we cannot
for instance, beans. We need more people to operate in a vacuum.
be involved in the export industry; we still Change is the only
need to do more to compete favourably. thing that is

22 LUA NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2022