The Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) at the weekend explained that as against 31million metric tonnes of cargo import carried out in 2015, imports in 2016 increased to 35million tonnes indicating an increase of 12.9 per cent.
Managing Director and CEO of the company, Rizwan Kadri also disclosed that exports equally soared from 15tonnes to about 40 tonnes daily, noting that Nigeria’s products continue to gain patronage from other countries.
Daily Trust learnt that some of the Nigerian products that have gained traction in international markets are bitter leaf (Ugu); bitter leaf; cassava leaf; red oil, Nigerian fabrics, among others.
Addressing newsmen at the company’s headquarters inside the cargo terminal of Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMIA) in Lagos, Kadri said there was the need for government to harness the country’s agro-allied market.
According to him, Nigeria is blessed with vast arable land and farmers to be able to tap its agro-allied potentials.
The SAHCOL boss called on the government to address the challenge of global certification of agro-allied products to improve earnings from the sector.
“Government has to get into the global certification process because the goods are going out and it is accepted from other countries but not from Nigeria. The government should have confidence in the products we have. The vegetable, mangoes and yams can be acceptable through the global certification process,” he said.
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