Dr Oluropo Owolabi, former Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC, has called for urgent reforms at Nigeria’s airport cargo terminals, lamenting the conversion of bonded warehouses into illegal car dealerships, trading centres and motorcycle parking lots.

Owolabi made the call at the SAHCO Cargo Stakeholders Forum held at the Marriott Hotel in Lagos, where he expressed concern over the deterioration of cargo facilities and operational challenges undermining the efficiency of Nigeria’s aviation logistics sector.

He said major cargo facilities, including the SIFAX bonded warehouse, were designed to meet international standards and facilitate efficient cargo handling, documentation, customs duty assessment, security clearance and prompt release of consignments.

According to him, the infrastructure remains capable of supporting efficient cargo operations, but unnecessary bureaucratic bottlenecks and interference have undermined its original purpose.

Owolabi identified the presence of multiple government agencies and security personnel at cargo terminals as a major contributor to delays in the clearance process.

He said that while efficient international airports operated with streamlined personnel and procedures, Nigerian cargo terminals often had representatives of up to 10 agencies attending to individual consignments.

The former SAHCO managing director said the situation created unnecessary operational hurdles, delayed documentation and inspections, and left importers and clearing agents waiting despite having paid the required handling charges.

“If you want to buy a good car today, you go to the airport cargo warehouse! That place is meant strictly for clearing goods, not for people to sit down and start selling like a sausage market,” he said.

Owolabi also expressed concern over the proliferation of unauthorised commercial activities within cargo facilities, including vehicle sales, which he said diverted the terminals from their primary purpose.

He called for a coordinated approach by relevant authorities to restore order and ensure that airport cargo infrastructure was used for legitimate aviation logistics operations.

The former SAHCO chief further raised concerns about overlapping responsibilities among airport stakeholders, particularly the relationship between the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and private ground handling companies.

He explained that customs authorities exercised legal custody over goods in bonded warehouses pending the completion of applicable clearance procedures and payment of duties.

While acknowledging FAAN’s responsibility as the airport landlord and its entitlement to appropriate ground lease fees, Owolabi urged the authority to concentrate on its statutory responsibilities without interfering unnecessarily in cargo handling operations.

He warned that Nigeria’s aviation logistics system depended heavily on the specialised equipment, technical expertise and operational capacity provided by private ground handling companies.

According to him, the withdrawal of equipment by major operators such as SIFAX and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) could severely disrupt cargo operations across the country.

Owolabi urged FAAN, security agencies and relevant federal ministries to intervene urgently by reducing unnecessary personnel at cargo terminals, eliminating unauthorised trading activities and addressing traffic congestion around airport access roads.

He said restoring discipline and enforcing existing regulations were essential to improving cargo clearance, reducing operational delays and strengthening the competitiveness of Nigeria’s aviation logistics industry.