Nigeria loses $150m as Customs shuts down Lagos cargo airport

The closure of Nigeria’s two main cargo wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, in its third day, has cost Nigeria more than $150 million revenue loss, with fear of more costs being computed.

The Nigeria Customs Service (NIS) had, in the process of shutting down the two major aviation handling firms, Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) and the Nigeria Aviation Handling Company Plc (NAHCO) made it impossible for any business activity to hold in the complex.

Beside the two companies, there are about 20 other firms handling import and export-related businesses in the complex.

But stakeholders have randomly condemned the act, which they described as high handedness on the part of the security outfit and in a country that is battling to survive scarcity of foreign currency and economic recession.

Nigerian businessmen who have started exporting perishable farm produce are still counting their losses as it has adversely affect their  produce , which are not allowed to stay beyond 24 hours before being exported, included vegetables, fruits and fishery products.

 

Read also: We have no hidden funds of NPA, says First Bank

 

According to Eugene Iyamu, a licenced clearing agent, Customs suspecting that donkey skins were warehoused within the two major ground handling companies resorted to grounding all activities in a bid to lay hands on those behind the import, which they termed a banned item.

 

The exporters alleged that Customs would have acted following a tip off about some unscrupulous Chinese who were exporting donkey skin through Emirates Airline and should have zeroed in on them and stopped their business, instead of shutting down the whole export business.

 

It is being said that Customs did not carry out a thorough investigation before shutting down the area.

 

However, a Chinese businessmen, who is alleged to be behind the business has been arrested, along with officials of the cargo handling companies, yet the premises is still cordoned off.

 

There were also indications that the Chinese businessmen brought the items into Nigeria from Kenya, but needed some Nigerian freight forwarders to finally help them in shipping the items to their country.

 

 

 

 

RipplesNigeria …without borders, without fears

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now