Aviation cargo enthusiasts have concluded the 3rd edition of the CHINET AviaCargo Conference in Lagos, where they met to discuss strategies that can be implemented to ensure the sustainability of the export trade in Nigeria.
The event which had as theme: “Unblocking the Logistics Barrier to Improve Cargo Products Exports” attracted stakeholders from the aviation and insurance sectors such as the Director of Operations at Omni-Blu Aviation, Capt. Kenneth Wemambu; the Chief Operating Officer of Ibom Air, George Uriesi; Managing Partner at Aether Consulting, Percival Uwechue; the Head of Retail and Digital Business at Royal Exchange General Insurance, Alfred Tabiti amongst others.
According to Capt. Wemambu, agro product exporters need to do more to increase their chances of successfully completing the registration process for their products, like ensuring that their farms are getting the attention they need, sticking to recommended practices with respect to use of fertilizers etc. “These aspects of the process need to be given proper attention if we want to prevent the rejection of our cargo by the authorities”, he said.
On his part, Mr. Percival stressed the importance of collaboration between agencies in the aviation and maritime sectors to minimize time wastage while maintaining the quality of the goods to be exported. Such collaboration, he said, comes in handy when dealing with perishables like fish, which need to be exported fresh – a process which could be rendered less worrisome if trawlers are used to transport the fish to cities with airports via which the cargo will then be exported. Cities like Lagos, Warri, Calabar, Port-Harcourt and Bayelsa were mentioned in which this sea freighter concept can be implemented.
According to George Uriesi, Ibom Air is currently looking at the option of “commencing a futuristic cargo facility by 2024” – plans which if materialized will greatly improve the export value chain by providing added capacity.
Shedding light on the role of insurance, Mr. Alfred Tabiti noted that even though insurance companies don’t have the mandate to give out loans, they can still help to remove some roadblocks associated with the export trade by providing supportive guarantees to businesses, which is a key requirement to securing loans from banks.
The event ended with an award ceremony to honour stakeholders who are making an impact in the aviation cargo business as a way of encouraging them to do more for the sector and ultimately for the nation. Ibom Air clinched the awards for Best On-Time Performance Airline in Nigeria and the Best Airline in Nigeria for 2022, while individual awards were given to Capt. Kenneth Wemambu, Mr. Anny Chigbo, Mr. Basil Agboarumi among others, for their contributions to growing the aviation cargo business in Nigeria.
