FAAN, Plateau Join Forces to End N3.5trn Agro Produce Wastes

In a bid to end N3.5 trillion agro produce wastages in the country, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the Plateau Government on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding.

The signing of the MoU was to seal the strategic partnership between the authority and the state to upscale the Yakubu Gowon Airport, Jos, into a premier food cargo hub.

The Managing Director of FAAN, Mrs Olubunmi Kuku in her address, said that while FAAN would provide professional expertise, guidance and security, the state government would provide the financial muscle for the upgrade.

Kuku said: “When N3.5 trillion worth of food perishes annually in Nigeria while global markets hunger for our produce, we know something must change.

“Today, that change begins as we welcome the Governor of Plateau to FAAN headquarters in Lagos, marking a historic turning point in Nigerian agricultural exports.

“We are joining forces to transform the Yakubu Gowon Airport in Jos into a premier food cargo hub.

“This is not just about building infrastructure, it is about building dreams, creating opportunities, and unleashing Plateau’s boundless agricultural potential onto the global stage,” she said.

According to Kuku, it is a blueprint for the kind of collaboration that will drive Nigeria toward President Bola Tinubu’s vision of a one trillion-dollar economy by 2030.

She urged investors to seize the opportunities presented in the partnership.

“To all our stakeholders watching this historic moment: the time to act is now. Plateau State stands ready with its rich resources, FAAN stands ready with its expertise, and the markets stand ready for our produce.

We invite you to be part of this transformation, to invest in packaging facilities, storage solutions, and transportation infrastructure that will connect our farmers to the world.

“Today, we’re not just signing an agreement – we are signing a declaration of economic independence for our farmers. We are not just upgrading an airport, we are upgrading dreams.

Today, we show the world that FAAN is open for business, that Plateau State is ready to rise, and that Nigeria’s agricultural promise is finally taking flight.

On his part, the Governor of Plateau, Mr Caleb Mutfwang, lauded the transformative initiatives of President Bola Tinubu for creating an enabling environment to birth such collaborations.

Mutfwang also commended the Minister of Aviation, Mr Festus Keyamo, SAN and Kuku for the political push as the state was a regional hub for agricultural produce in Africa.

According to him, the visit of the FAAN boss in 2024 was beginning to take positive shape and will yield the desired revenue in the coming years.

“There are a lot of commercial activities before the Jos market got burnt, and we are in the process of rebuilding it to become the centre of commerce in northern Nigeria.

“We have started the Plateau commodities market to become an aggregation centre for food produce, and we believe that we are on the right track.

“Hopefully, that will complement the special agro processing zone, which will soon be onboard in partnership with the African Development Bank.”