The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has resumed direct revenue collection at the cargo terminals of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, for the first time in 15 years.
The disclosure was conveyed in a statement signed by Mrs. Obiageli Orah, FAAN’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, and posted on the authority’s X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, August 23, 2025.
FAAN officials from the Directorate of Cargo Development and Services (DCDS) are now stationed at the cargo release points of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouses to oversee real-time collection of accrued cargo charges.
“The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has recorded a landmark achievement with the successful resumption of direct revenue collection at the cargo terminals of Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, after a 15-year hiatus.
“For the first time in over a decade, FAAN officials from the Directorate of Cargo Development and Services (DCDS) are now stationed at the cargo release points of the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO) and Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) warehouses to oversee real-time collection of accrued cargo charges,” the statement read in part.
More insights
The statement noted that the development followed months of stakeholder engagement led by FAAN’s Director of Cargo Development and Services, Mr. Lekan Thomas, and the Airport Manager, Mr. Olatokubo Arewa. .
- The initiative also received support from a meeting between FAAN Managing Director/Chief Executive, Mrs. Olubunmi Kuku, and the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Mr. Bashir Adewale Adeniyi.
- Working closely with the PTC Customs Area Command under Comptroller T. Awe, FAAN expects the move to reduce revenue leakages and improve accountability across the air cargo value chain.
The authority also anticipates that the breakthrough at MMIA will serve as a model for replication at other airports across the country, reflecting its efforts to optimise cargo operations and expand revenue streams.
What you should know
- For 15 years, cargo revenue at MMIA was collected indirectly through handlers like NAHCO and SAHCO, a system that often-caused delays, gaps in oversight, and revenue loss.
- With FAAN now handling collections directly, the process will be tracked in real time, reducing leakages and clarifying how funds are accounted for.
- The approach could also be applied to other airports, changing how air cargo revenue is managed in Nigeria.
