Chinedu Eze
ABX World, Arik Air and Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) have started the export of agricultural produce projected to exceed N52 billion per annum.
Stirred by the crashing price of crude oil which is the mainstay of Nigeria’s foreign exchange, these firms have embarked on collaborating with farmers to maximise quality farm produce that are in high demand in Europe, the US and other parts of the world.
They are also forming cooperation with farmers to cultivate high yielding crops demanded by Nigerians overseas projected to be over 10 million in Diaspora.
Speaking to journalists in Lagos, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Office of ABX World Nigeria, Captain John Okakpu, said the revolutionary project would reposition the agricultural sector in the country while boosting the supply chain involving transportation, logistics, aviation, packaging, among others that would eventually create about 20 million jobs nationwide.
Captain Okakpu said that both Arik Air and SAHCOL are EU certified with ACC3 and RA3 certifications respectively, remarking that with such evidence of the acceptability of EU governments, consumer market for the Nigerian farm produce would widen with high demands, adding that ABX World and its partners would ensure compliance.
According to him, already, ABX World has reached out to the federal government to leverage global agro-allied sub-sector while breaking the challenges posed by non-diversification of the economy and reliance on oil for foreign exchange.
“Assuming one million out of over three million Nigerians living in the United Kingdom make purchases of food items from Nigeria at the cost of $100 weekly even with the current exchange rate, Nigeria cannot make less than $5.2billion monthly from this sub-sector.
The ABX boss said that, agriculture is taking back its leading position as major export from Nigeria to the global economy as earnings from oil and gas nosedives.
He urged government to quickly develop and encourage the development of agriculture as oil and gas faces bleak future, Cap. Okakpu remarked, “We know the price of crude oil today. Nigeria is largely a mono-dimension economy focused on crude oil extract, export and import. Our banking sector is no way to be reckoned with the rest of the world. God wants to reposition Nigeria, which is the reason we are faced with the crude oil price downfall.
“People like me would prefer the crude oil sells for $10 per barrel, because that will wake us up from slumber. Before crude oil Nigeria relied on agriculture, but we lost our focus when we began to earn petrodollars. For Nigeria to balance her budget at the moment, crude oil has to sell for $128 per barrel. How do we make up the difference? Is it by producing more? Do we have the capacity to produce more to make up the difference? We have no choice than to go back to the foundation, which is agriculture.
To bring about the required turnaround, he said that the firm has engaged top supply chains in Europe, as about 60 per cent of the agro-allied produce shall be exported to the European market; while the company would get farmers through their respective corporative societies for training on how to cultivate and produce safe and quality yields.
After the training, which would prepare them for the demands of the European and other markets, they would be certified on the supply chain processes such as the kind of pesticides to use. Through that, they can be guaranteed three year of supply.
He further stressed on the need for establishing purpose-driven cargo facilities, strategically built around passenger airports to attract and sustain airlines’ interest in the business.
Okakpu also urged the federal government to introduce subsidy charges for agro-allied freighting in order to encourage the sector.
According to him, under the platform, over 20 million jobs would be created on the provision of $0.50 (N100.00) per kilogram of agricultural produce for airfreight transportation.
“This is an avenue to bring all participants together to integrate their individual roles in this sector. ABX World strategy is to generate over 50,000 tons of agricultural produce annually for export, while targeting produce such as pumpkin leave, fresh ginger and garlic, white and red sweet potatoes, washed bitter leaf, etc.”
“It is going to be a very painful task and journey that will take a lot of time and hard work, because the attitude of some government officials are discouraging the system from moving forward. But the bottom line is that we are no longer talking about classroom theories. Our goal is to champion agro-allied export in Nigeria. We don’t want to lead, because we are already leading,” he added.
He decried the fact that whereas Nigeria’s agricultural produce is in high demands in the European markets and world over, but meeting the quality has been the bane of farmers, which is exacerbated unprofessional middle-men.
