The Federal Government is developing new proposals to position Nigeria for a share of the fast-growing air cargo, logistics, and allied value chain projected to exceed $12 billion within the next five years. The plan focuses on expanding export capacity for agricultural produce, boosting e-commerce logistics, and supporting the movement of manufactured goods through a more efficient aviation–driven supply network.
Key government agencies, including FAAN, Nigeria Customs Service, SON, NAFDAC, and state governments with airports, are working on unified templates to remove bottlenecks and strengthen cargo, courier, and logistics operations nationwide.
Speaking on the emerging strategy, the Managing Director of FAAN said the goal is to make Nigeria a dominant cargo hub, a benchmark for efficiency, and a catalyst for Africa’s economic growth. She explained that FAAN’s newly created Directorate of Cargo Development Services has been engaging industry players to design policy, infrastructure, and operational reforms needed to achieve this vision. According to her, Nigeria must adopt a joint approach to remove delays, modernise handling systems, automate documentation, and improve export readiness across all airports. She added that Nigeria has the capacity to become the air-cargo powerhouse of West and Central Africa and must seize the moment.
She emphasised that a modern cargo framework will help farmers, manufacturers, exporters, pharmaceutical distributors, courier services, and every business relying on fast, secure movement of goods. She described the sector as a vital artery of global trade, noting that Nigeria has long been limited by inadequate facilities and missed opportunities but must now shift toward a more efficient model.
Industry operators agree that Nigeria is at a rare moment of alignment where market demand, government policy, and economic priorities all point in the same direction. The head of a leading aviation support firm said decades of fragmented systems can now give way to coordinated planning, driven by rising regional air freight demand and Nigeria’s position as a major import gateway with growing export potential. He linked this renewed momentum to the aviation ministry’s five-point agenda, which seeks to rebuild aviation infrastructure, strengthen local airlines, enhance safety, expand manpower, and grow revenue, pillars he described as the structural backbone of a modern cargo ecosystem.
Stakeholders insist that progress requires a unified national cargo coordination framework where FAAN, NCAA, Customs, airlines, terminal operators, and exporters operate with shared accountability. They also highlighted the urgency of standardised airport infrastructure, full digitisation through a national cargo single window, and the creation of export-quality hubs that centralise packaging, testing, certification, and documentation.
They further urged the adoption of public–private partnerships to deliver world-class terminals, cold-chain systems, and globally recognised logistics standards.
For MSMEs, especially those in agriculture, food processing, e-commerce logistics, and light manufacturing, a more efficient cargo system could sharply reduce delays, cut post-harvest losses, and unlock access to regional and global markets. A streamlined logistics ecosystem would also support small exporters, boost job creation, and strengthen Nigeria’s competitiveness in Africa’s expanding trade landscape.
