The efforts
of the Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) to be the leading
warehousing and ground handling operator in West African sub region has
received a boost, as the Airfreight Stakeholders forum of the Nigerian
Shippers Council paid a facility tour on the ground handling
company.
The forum
led by its Chairman, Toyin Olufade was
received by the Managing Director and
Chief Executive Officer of SAHCOL, Dr.
Oluropo Owolabi.
The forum is made up of about 18 stakeholders
among which are: Nigerian Civil Aviation
Authority (NCAA), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN),Nigerian
Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines & Agriculture
(NACCIMA), Association of Nigerian Licensed Custom Agent, (ANLCA),Nigerian
Customs Services, (NCS), Airline Operators,
National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); went round the newly constructed ultra modern
warehouse of the company located at the Cargo Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, Lagos.
Speaking on
the forum’s visit, Olufade said the team was at SAHCOL to have a firsthand
assessment of facilities on ground and to see how they could be explored to
promote international trade in the country.
He equally
said the visit would avail them the opportunity to market SAHCOL facilities to
both importers and exporters within and outside the country.
Other
members of the forum who spoke on their experiences during the tour expressed
delights at the level of investment and facilities put in place by SAHCOL.
A member of
the visiting team who wanted to know the ability of the warehouse to ensuring
uninterrupted power supply for its facilities, was impressed when she was told
that the company relies on three 500 KVA generators to power the equipment and
facilities, notwithstanding the recent improvement the nation is witnessing in
power supply nationwide.
Some of the facilities toured included the Bulk-break
area, Cold room sector, Freezers, Radioactive room; Human remain sector, Dangerous
goods section, Valuable section, Custom examination section, Loading Bay and
Unit Loading Device (ULD) storage.
Responding
to the council’s statement, Dr. Owolabi who commended the team for its
initiative to have firsthand information on the SAHCOL facilities for them to
have adequate information on how to sell the company while promoting external
trade for Nigeria called on Nigerians to invest in the packaging sector of the
economy.
He said
doing this would create a balance of trade between Nigeria and countries with
which she has bilateral relations, since most airlines bringing imports to the
country are usually ferried back empty.
“We need to
package our products here for international trade. It is very unfortunate to
see big cargo aircraft flying into Nigeria only to drop cargo without flying
anything out of the country.
We don't
necessarily need to depend on exports to European or American countries, but we
could do it among countries in the West African region or the African continent. We have millions of tones of yam tubers,
mangoes pineapples, cashew nuts and other agro products that could be well
packaged for exports to all these countries, instead of allowing them to rot
away here.”
SAHCOL is poised to become a reference point where
the efficiency of a successful flight operation is born. Hence, in addition to
the completion of an ultramodern first-of-its-kind Custom Bonded Cargo
Warehouse at the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, Lagos, SAHCOL is committed to ensuring that ground
handling to its customers is seamless.
SAHCOL was bought over by the Sifax Group in
December 2009, after its successful privatization by the Federal Government of
Nigeria. Within this period, SAHCOL has invested in continuous personnel
development for optimum performance, good customer services, purchase of modern
equipment and massive infrastructural development, which has helped reposition
the company to meet the expectations and needs of its growing list of
clientele.
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