Aviation
FAAN renders Freight Forwarders homeless at Lagos Airport
Murtala-Muhammed Airport-Lagos
-FACTS have emerged that Nigerian freight forwarders practicing at the Murtala Mohammed Airport (MMA) in Lagos are currently facing hard times as a result of the planned renovation of Nigerian Airports by the the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) which has affected the offices and secretariats of the freight forwarders.
It was learnt that FAAN is coming up with an arrangement that is directed by the Minister of Aviation, Mrs. Stella Odua Nigeria airports should be given a face-lift.
Biztellers has also confirmed that the secretariat of the two major freight forwarding association in Nigeria namely; the Association of Nigeria Licensed Custom Agents (ANLCA) and National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders (NAGAFF) has been affected in the on-going renovation.
Before now, the popular ‘Hadj Camp’ had played host to freight forwarders and various office complexes for operators arround the airport.
But speaking with our correspondent in Lagos earlier today, Secretary of the Airport chapter of ANLCA, Mr. Davies-Ben Chukwuneye, lamented that the Secretariat of the Association has been demolished and the freight forwarders have been sent packing from the vicinity.
He comfirmed that as a meantime solution, FAAN has asked the freight forwarders to pitch their tent with the bus drivers at the garage around Hadj Camp bus park pending when the renovation of the Airports would be completed.
According to Davies-Ben, the present situation at the airport is precarious and traumatizing because licensed Agents at the Airport carry huge amount of money daily and that the new location is not good enough.
“Unfortunately, where they relocated us is outside the hadj Terminal and we are not happy with the place, considering the fact that our business has to do with carrying huge sums of money and the security is not there”
He pointed out that the Association has gone back to FAAN and demanded that they do something about the place but that FAAN is still “insisting that we must go to that place just by hadj camp bus park, so we are going to share the place with motor park Associations” he lamented.
Continuing, Davies-Ben explained that “we as an association are demanding for a documentation that will at least give us the right to go there, so that tommorow nobody will just come and chase us out, with the paper we can go into litigation when neccessary.
“We have agreed to go to wherever they asked us to go but there must be a documented evidence of our movement” he demanded.
Confirming the development to our correspondent, Public Affairs Manager of FAAN, Mr. Akin Olukunle explained that the Secretariat of the Associations within the NAHCO complex is not befitting for them and that management is erecting structures from which all the operators will benefit in the long run.
Olukunle appealed to the operators to make do with the place they have been provided, pending the completion of the project.
“You will see that where they were using was not an ideal place for their kind of business, and for security reasons we want to give them a befiting place, in the meantime they just have to manage” he said.
Olukunle explained that FAAN management is currently carrying out the remodelling of eleven airports in Nigeria and that the MMA is part of it.
He told our correspondent that the contractor in charge of the construction had few weeks ago pulled down unwanted structures within the NAHCO complex and that any moment from now it will mobilise man and materials to the site.
In a bold step to strengthen Akwa Ibom’s position in Nigeria’s aviation industry, Governor Umo Eno announced the addition of two new Bombardier CRJ900 aircraft to the fleet of the state-owned airline, Ibom Air, on Friday.
The two aircraft, registered as 5N-CED and 5N-CEE, mark a milestone in the state’s commitment to strategic investment, with the governor stressing that the acquisitions were fully funded by state resources without loans from financial institutions.
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At a welcoming ceremony attended by local officials and residents, Governor Eno emphasized his administration’s mission to drive revenue-generating ventures for Akwa Ibom rather than relying on debt.
He called the move a step toward breaking the cycle of government investments that only serve to pay off loans, vowing that the state’s funds would go towards projects that bring returns to the people.
The governor challenged Ibom Air to turn a profit by 2025, stating that the airline’s management should ensure routes in and out of Uyo remain dependable to prioritize the needs of Akwa Ibom travelers.
“As long as I remain governor, we will continue to use state funds for the benefit of all, not for private gain,” he said, noting that his administration aims to ensure that public investments deliver real value to the state.
Governor Eno also provided updates on several ambitious state projects, including an 18-story commercial complex underway in Lagos and an upcoming 4-star hotel in Abuja, both designed to generate revenue for Akwa Ibom.
Plans for an international market in Ikot Ekpene and the phased opening of a new terminal at the Victor Attah International Airport were also announced, with the airport terminal set for partial operation by December and full activation in early 2025.
Speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Udeme Otong, commended Eno’s financial management, highlighting that the administration has avoided seeking loans over the past 18 months despite launching significant development projects.
Ibom Air’s Chairman, Pastor Imoabasi Jacob, expressed appreciation for the state’s investment in the airline, which has seen its fleet grow to nine aircraft.
Jacob credited the governor’s support with enabling Ibom Air to boost flight capacity, meeting demand on popular routes such as Uyo-Lagos-Abuja.
Captain Mfon Udom, CEO of Ibom Air, stated that the expanded fleet will improve efficiency and allow the airline to scale up its operations in time for the Christmas travel season.
Udom also noted that the airline anticipates the delivery of nine additional Airbus planes, which will further strengthen Ibom Air’s market presence.
Traditional leaders, including HRM Edidem Ita Edet Okokon III of Okobo Local Government Area, lauded the governor’s leadership, pledging continued support from the traditional institutions.
Anie Essienette, Group Manager for Marketing and Communications at Ibom Air, noted that demand for the airline’s services has surged nationwide, with the new CRJ900 aircraft helping meet this increasing need while the airline awaits further fleet expansion.
Nigeria’s Minister for Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo is of the view that there’s no cause for alarm over the approval of a private airstrip for a religious organisation, which attracted the attention of the House of Representatives.
He took to his verified handle on micro-blogging site, X, on Friday morning to shed light on the subject, and explained that it could be a great source of revenue for Federal Government.
Keyamo asserted that the issue was raised by an honourable member at plenary, out of ignorance, but was “unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into.”
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Keyamo expressed confidence that by the time his Ministry was done enlightening them, “they will be satisfied”.
He added that “the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.”
Keyamo wrote, “I think this is not correct. The House of Reps. as a body did not call on the Minister to revoke the license of any private airstrip.
“I think what happened is that someone moved a motion in that regard and it was unanimously referred to the Aviation Committee to look into it.
“Whilst the intention of the Hon. Member who moved it is very patriotic, it was based on a complete lack of knowledge of the aviation sector.
“By the time we explain to them how private air strips work and the processes they undergo by our agencies before the final approval, they will be satisfied.
“The responsibility of the owners of private air strips is just to build the runway and terminal building. But after they build the control tower in particular, it is completely handed over to the Federal Government through NAMA (Nigerian Airspace Management Agency) which is in complete control of the entire airspace in Nigeria. An MOU is usually signed with NAMA in this regard before the airstrip is approved for operations.
“It is NAMA that provides the Air Traffic Controllers and Engineers in ALL AIRPORTS and AIRSTRIPS IN NIGERIA. And the privates air strip owners pay the Federal Government handsomely for these services.
“No object flies into Nigeria without the prior clearance by NAMA and without filing a clear flight plan, eg, where it is taking off from and where it intends to land.
“And I have recently directed that all aircraft coming into the country MUST first land at our international airports where they would be properly processed and checked before they make their local flights into whatever airport or airstrip they intend to go. So, it is COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY impossible for any private airstrip owner to just jump on an aircraft and fly in and out of the country through that facility. The Federal Government does not permit that. You will not be cleared for take off or landing without prior request and authorisation.
“I thank the Member for his patriotism, but I wish he contacted us first to explain to him before rushing to move such a motion.
“I attach herewith for public consumption the NAMA Act that gives exclusive control of the Nigerian airspace to the Federal Government through NAMA.”
The NNPC Ltd has clarified that beyond the three bodies found in the ill-fated helicopter operated by East Winds Aviation that crashed on Thursday in Port Harcourt, no other bodies have been recovered.
This was contained in a statement in Abuja on Sunday by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, NNPC Ltd, Olufemi Soneye.
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“The Company further notes that intensified search and rescue operations for the remaining bodies along with relevant authorities is still ongoing.
“Once again, our hearts and prayers are with family members of this unfortunate incident,” the statement added.
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