THE perishable agro-cargo airport project launched in 2013 to diversify the Nigerian economy, has been scrapped in the face of inertia and suspected corruption, reports the Netherlands' Fresh Plaza
THE perishable agro-cargo airport project launched in 2013 to diversify the Nigerian economy, has been scrapped in the face of inertia and suspected corruption, reports the Netherlands' Fresh Plaza. Nigeria had hoped to catch up with rivals Kenya, South Africa, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Egypt, which actively export fruit, fish, vegetables and flowers.
Meanwhile Nigeria, which also produces all this in abundance, lacks the infrastructure to compete, said the report.
To meet the challenge the Nigerian government designated 13 cities as pilot cities for perishable cargo airports. The airports in these cities were to be developed with international standard perishable cargo storage and export facilities to enhance their operations.
According to an industry source who was involved in the conceptualisation of the project, then national President Muhammadu Buhari, who inherited the scheme, refused to make the financial commitment necessary to realise the project.
The source said 'the perishable cargo project suffered severe neglect because of the initial decision of the incumbent government to jettison the project.
'President Buhari came to believe that everything about the airport remodelling project of former President Jonathan was immersed in fraud, and this thinking extended to the perishable cargo terminal projects,' the source said.
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