• Photo caption: NAHCO, GMD/CEO, Gupta

…Says Nigeria Can Be Bread Basket Of Africa If

….Plans To Encourage Farmers To Farm, Meet With Middlemen

The Group Managing Director(GMD)/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Aviation Handling Company,(NAHCO) Aviance, Indranil Gupta,  has disclosed that the ground handler has  invested N1 billion on its Export Processing Centre(EPC) in Lagos.

The move, Ontimenewsng.com learnt, is not only to boost its export business but to also maintain its leadership position in the ground handling sub-sector.

This is just as he said that Nigeria as a country can be the ‘bread basket’ in other word, the food basket of Africa if its potential is well harnessed.

He made this known while speaking to Aviation Correspondents at a media briefing at its corporate headquarters at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport(MMIA),Lagos at the weekend .

He explained that the export processing centre will be used to arrange and proper package of cargoes meant for export in line with international standards before they are taken to where they will pass through scanning machines for onward delivery to markets in Europe or any part of the world.

The GMD said that NAHCO Aviance as the leading ground handling company in the country has visited the five major airports which include Abuja, Enugu, Kano and Port Harcourt to replicate the EPC facility it has in Lagos in these airports.

According to him, “The idea is that Nigerian products will be in one shop where they will be well sorted, arranged and packaged before being transported. We plan to put forward some ideas on improving exportation before the Aviacargo Committee. I know that Nigeria can be the bread basket of the continent if the producers and farmers are aware of the potential of the country in continent. It is much more profitable to export than to import because it comes with foreign exchange.”

He said that the ground handling company is also making efforts to encourage farmers to embrace farming considering the huge potential in agriculture, which according to him can turn Nigeria’s fortune around

On Kano, Gupta said that plans are in top gear by NAHCO to take it to its original glory.

On the possibility of making Nigeria a food basket of Africa, the NAHCO GMD said that it is doable, if the producers are aware of the potential the country has, adding that to achieve success, “we must reach out to  the farmers and middlemen in the business, as this would make NAHCO a leader in export business.

According to him, “Nigeria can be the continent’s breadbasket. Producers must recognise the rich potential in both intercontinental and intra-continental trade.”

Speaking further, Gupta posited that Nigeria’s cargo is nearly 95 per cent import-dependent, adding that export earns the country foreign exchange and that it is much more beneficial to export.

On the future plan, the GMD said that the plan NAHCO Aviance has  coupled with the new Ground Support Equipment (GSE)  that it is bringing in will  change its business in the next two years

On his part, the Head of Commercial & Business Development, Prince Saheed Lasisi, stated that the ground handling company’s focus is to encourage Nigerian exporters and farmers.

He disclosed that already some of NAHCO’s staff were in London for training on packaging and others which will  further make the organisation to remain tops on cargo export business and that five major airports have also been identified for export business.

 

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