Worried by the negative consequences the ongoing perpetration of corrupt practices by actors across the country’s airports, stakeholders from different professional backgrounds have called for a drastic reduction in the presence of some agencies of government at the airports.
Such agencies, according to the stakeholders, include: the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and control (NAFDAC) and the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
The agreement was unanimously reached by key players at the end of 2023 Aviation Safety Round Table Initiative (ASRTI) quarter breakfast meeting held in Lagos with the theme: ‘Nigerian Aviation Sector Charges, Duties and Tariffs: Truly Exorbitant?’.
In a communique released at the end of the meeting, all the participants agreed that there is no need for some of the government agencies to be physically present at the airports.
The key players kicked against the hitherto regular presence of the agencies which have been interrupting the normal flow of outbound and inbound cargoes at the airports.
The need to curb this, the key players attributed to the automation of the processes, to enable the agencies access to the information required to do their jobs without setting up a permanent presence at the airport.
It was also agreed at the gathering that Nigeria needs to review the number and types of agencies and other parties involved in the air cargo processing and handling system at the airports.
According to the participants: “As a first step, individuals should be able to conduct own export and import processes through the airports, and where an agent is required, this must be done by an officially recognised and trained registered cargo agent operating within the limits of the laws in Nigeria.”
The key players, described the greatest challenge confronting Nigerian airports as the processing of cargoes.
The meeting also provided opportunity for the stakeholders to stress the need for the total automation of revenue collection systems and processes for cargo, to enable the removal of unnecessary, unknown and illegal charges from the system
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