Clearing agents ask FG to revive abandoned N250m packaging factory

Abiola Seun

The African Association of Professional Freight Forwarders and Logistics of Nigeria (APFFLON), has urged the Federal Government to revive the abandoned N250million packaging factory at the Murtala Muhammad Airport (MMA), Lagos.

The statement by APFFLON President, Otunba Frank Ogunojemite, said having waited for almost two years since the Free On Board (FOB), Goods and Logistics firm, in collaboration with Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) Plc, announced that it had concluded plans to build a N250 million packaging factory at the MMA, it is unfortunate that the project hasn’t seen the light of day.

The factory aimed to ‘Brand Nigeria’, to improve the packaging of all local items leaving the country for acceptance globally and APFFLON as well as other stakeholders in the sector had anticipated succour from the facility, which would have enhanced the quality and quantity of Nigeria’s exports.

“At APFFLON,” Ogunojemite added, “we do call on the Minister of Aviation to wield his supervisory powers to get the project established for the overall good of the nation even as we draw your attention to the fact that NAHCO and its crony, Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCOL) PLC, have collaborated to increase ground handling charges by 70 percent and successfully collects these new fees for almost two years.”

Nigerian Export Promotion Council, NEPC has linked poor packaging and labelling as the major challenges confronting Nigerian export products overseas.

The Director, Business Development at NEPC, William Eze in Lagos, recently said Nigerian products destined for export, especially to the US market, have been faced with poor packaging which resulted in rejections.

“A recent report says that 30 per cent of our (Nigeria) exports to the US are rejected as a result of poor packaging and labelling, not quality of the products,” he said.

Same with the Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), among others, who have also lamented that due to a lack of quality control and poor packaging, hundreds of containers loaded with ‘Made in Nigeria’ products are being rejected in the international market and are returned home.