The Federal Government has designated the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos as a cargo terminal for the export of perishable goods.
General Manager, Corporate
Communications of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Mr. Yakubu
Dati, who disclosed this in Jos on Sunday while inspecting the
reconstruction and remodelling of the airport, said that the exercise
was one of such projects being undertaken in 22 airports all over the
country, with 11 being in the first phase.
In addition, Dati said that with the
removal of duty on spare parts, FAAN was expecting additional 30 planes
to boost the sector as well as the construction of four new airports in
Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kano.
He said that the designation of the
airport for cargo was part of the aviation master plan to ensure that
perishable goods were exported directly overseas so as to boost the
country’s Gross Domestic Product.
According to him, countries like Israel
make millions of dollars from exporting roses every year, adding that
with the abundant agricultural produce in the country, such an action
will encourage farmers, not only to produce food for subsistence, but
also for the international market.
He said that there would be such
facilities like refrigeration to ensure that such produce was kept
intact before export and called on farmers to take advantage of the
revolution in the aviation sector.
After from this, Dati said that it was
also the plan of the aviation minister to develop cities and
infrastructure around the airport in a concept called aerotropolis.
He added, “These are deliberate
interventions by the aviation minister to bring investors into the
country and make cost of flying cheaper so that the ordinary man can
fly and to also bring back aviation sector to what it used to be.”
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