Air cargo exports fall amid naira devaluation, rising costs

By Dickson Omobola & Matilda Ikediobi

Air cargo publication to Nigeria’s exports has suffered a setback, dropping 10 per cent betwixt the 4th fourth of 2024 and 2nd 4th of 2025.

Despite the country’s commercialized potential, checks by Vanguard from the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, showed that betwixt Q4 ‘24 and Q2 ‘25, aerial cargo commercialized dropped by N13.28 billion, falling from N127.3 cardinal to N114.02 billion.

Industry experts fingered the precocious outgo of aerial freight, which is chiefly priced successful dollars, arsenic a large factor, saying the devaluation of the naira had made it an progressively costly means of transportation.

Further findings by Vanguard showed that of the country’s full exports of N22,751 billion, conscionable N114.02 cardinal worthy of goods were transported by aerial successful Q2 ‘25, compared to N124.5 cardinal successful Q1 ‘25 and N127.3 cardinal successful Q4 ‘24.

NBS, successful its Foreign Trade successful Goods Statistics for Q2 ’25, however, besides revealed that the state experienced a 52 per cent driblet successful inbound cargo astatine N714.6 cardinal from N1.498.87 trillion successful Q4 ’24 and N809 cardinal successful Q1 ‘25.

In the 2nd 4th of 2025, the study showed that astir commodities exported retired of Nigeria were by sea, with maritime transport accounting for N22,507.88 billion.

The study said: “Air transport accounted for N114.02 cardinal oregon 0.50 per cent whereas roadworthy transport accounted for N40.55 cardinal oregon 0.18 per cent, portion different transport recorded N88.29 cardinal oregon 0.39 per cent.

“Similarly, maritime transport accounted for N14,466.88 cardinal oregon 94.64 per cent of the worth of full imports, portion aerial transport accounted for goods valued astatine N714.06 cardinal oregon 4.67 per cent portion roadworthy transport accounted for N105.83 cardinal oregon 0.69 per cent.”

At the ports, Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s cargo terminal ranked lowest among the country’s apical 5 import gateways, handling lone N102.72 cardinal worthy of goods successful Q2 ‘25.

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Speaking to Vanguard connected the development, Chief Executive Officer of Mainstream Cargo, Mr Seyi Adewale, called connected national authorities for deliberate argumentation interventions that would assistance successful boosting volumes.

Adewale besides said specified an involution should beryllium matched with measures to chopped export costs, portion ensuring greater ratio and a fairer naira speech rate.

He said: “The diminution successful commercialized by aerial transport is chiefly owed to the precocious outgo of aerial freight, which is chiefly priced successful dollars. The devaluation of the naira has made aerial freight an progressively costly means of transporting cargo.

“There are truthful galore factors affecting outgo specified arsenic the quality of goods, the volumetric value if applicable, the last destination and truthful on. Air freight outgo unsocial is astir $4.00/kg to European Union countries and if the outgo of aviation substance increases, determination is simply a surcharge.

“Nigeria tin inactive physique an export-driven system done aerial cargo. A deliberate argumentation involution to amended exporters connected aerial cargo requirements, including due packaging, would spell a agelong mode successful boosting volumes.

“This should beryllium combined with strategies to trim export costs by improving ratio and moving toward a fairer speech complaint for the naira. In addition, positioning Nigeria arsenic a West African determination hub for aerial cargo would importantly assistance successful realising this potential.

“Special export processing zones, specified arsenic those being promoted by the African Development Bank, AfDB, could besides play a cardinal role. These zones would let caller nutrient to beryllium processed, packaged and exported the aforesaid day, preserving prime and extending support life.”

For the organiser of CHINET Aviacargo conference, Mr Ikechi Uko, the diminution was an denotation that the system was struggling.

According to him, the concern is not conscionable peculiar to aerial cargo, arsenic rider numbers are besides decreasing.

Uko, successful a chat with Vanguard, said: “Nigeria has suffered a diminution successful aerial cargo successful the past years. But it is not lone successful cargo. Our rider numbers besides person not gone up. Meanwhile, our export figures person gone up a little. It means the system has been struggling, and imports by aerial person gone down.

“Before now, the precocious aerial cargo figures were from imports. Remember, 10 freighters wer...