Bonded cargo terminal operations raise fresh concerns

Former Managing Director of Skyway Aviation Handling Company PLC (SAHCO), Dr Oluropo Owolabi, has expressed concern over the alarming transformation of international bonded cargo terminals into illegal vehicle dealerships, unauthorised trading hubs, and chaotic parking lots for commercial motorcycles.

Dr. Owolabi, speaking at the SAHCO’s Cargo Stakeholders Forum held recently at Marriott hotels in Lagos, emphasised that the infrastructure was built to match top global standards capable of handling heavy logistics efficiently.

He asserted that Sifax operates one of the finest international warehouse setups in Africa, designed specifically to ensure seamless document processing, customs duty assessments, security clearances, and swift cargo releases without unnecessary human bottlenecks.

However, systemic decay and severe operational interference, according to Owolabi, have crippled the clearing process, just as he pointed to the overwhelming presence of government security agencies as a primary cause of chronic delays at the ports.

While globally competitive airports streamline operations with minimal personnel, Nigerian terminals routinely suffer from up to 10 different agency representatives hovering around single consignments.

“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.

According to Dr Owolabi, this influx of personnel creates intense bureaucratic friction, slowing down customs documentation, immigration checks, and NDLEA inspections, ultimately leaving importers and cargo agents stranded after making mandatory handling payments.

READ ALSO: NAF crash: Air Chief orders high-level probe, promises support for victims’ families

The former SAHCO chief also called out regulatory overlap and jurisdictional friction, particularly targeting the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Reminding stakeholders of the legal status of bonded terminals, Dr Owolabi clarified that customs authorities exercise sole legal custody over goods within cargo warehouses until duty release.

He acknowledged FAAN’s role as the primary landlord deserving of ground lease fees, and insisted that airport authorities should stick to structural maintenance, rather than interfering in cargo handling operations. He warned that if private ground handling operators like Sifax or NAHCO were to pull their specialized equipment out of the airports, aviation logistics in the country would instantly collapse.

Urging immediate executive intervention and enforcement, Dr. Owolabi appealed to FAAN, law enforcement and federal ministries to restore order, reduce the number of security personnel stationed at cargo hubs, and clear out the sprawling illegal car sales, truck blockades, and unregulated traffic engulfing airport access roads before the situation becomes completely unmanageable.