Aviation experts under the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria have proposed a series of strategic reforms to strengthen the country’s air cargo sector, urging the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria to lead a full-scale transformation that aligns with global standards.

The experts called for the development of state-of-the-art cargo villages at major airports, equipped with cold-chain systems, automated handling equipment, and renewable energy installations.

The President of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria, Dr. Alexander Nwuba, made this call while delivering a paper titled “Building a World-Class Air Cargo Ecosystem” during a stakeholders’ engagement on cargo recently in Lagos.

Citing Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as a model, Nwuba explained that its advanced cold-chain facilities and traceability systems enable perishable exports to reach global markets swiftly and sustainably.

He also recommended a single-window digital clearance platform and harmonised operating procedures across all relevant agencies. Additionally, he proposed what he called a “Cargo Bill of Rights” to protect shippers, handlers, and consumers. Nwuba referenced Ghana’s digital customs system as an example of improved efficiency and reduced bottlenecks.

He further emphasised the need for electronic documentation, blockchain-enabled traceability, barcoding, and data analytics to enhance compliance and operational transparency.

Regular training for cargo handlers, regulators, and logistics professionals was described as essential. Nwuba proposed that such training should incorporate environmental stewardship and engage local communities and environmental groups.

He urged the expansion of credit and insurance access for exporters, including green financing options. Public-private partnerships—similar to those seen in Kenya’s logistics sector—were identified as crucial for unlocking investment in infrastructure and technology.

Outlining the key pillars of his proposed transformation, Nwuba said, “We must develop state-of-the-art cargo villages at major airports, equipped with cold-chain facilities, automated handling, and renewable energy systems such as solar panels.

“For example, Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has implemented advanced cold-chain infrastructure and farm-to-fork traceability, ensuring that perishable goods reach global markets efficiently and sustainably. Regional hubs must be upgraded with sustainable transport links, and all facilities should incorporate natural ventilation, daylighting, and rainwater harvesting.

“We need a single-window digital clearance platform, harmonized operating procedures, and a Cargo Bill of Rights that protects shippers, handlers, consumers, and the environment. Ghana has pioneered advanced digital customs and regional trade facilitation, streamlining processes and reducing paperwork, thereby improving efficiency and environmental outcomes.

“Electronic documentation, traceability tools such as barcodes and blockchain, and data analytics will help us monitor performance and environmental metrics. Ethiopia’s cargo terminals operate 24/7 and use integrated digital systems to ensure compliance with EU standards, including strict environmental requirements.”

In his remarks, the Director of Cargo Services at FAAN, Lekan Thomas, said the establishment of the Directorate was intended to serve as the engine room for dismantling barriers, resolving persistent challenges, and forging the partnerships required to advance the nation’s cargo ambitions.

Aligning with the call of the FAAN Managing Director, Olubunmi Kuku, for a genuine “partner–partner relationship,” the Directorate stated that it has developed a comprehensive roadmap whose success “will depend largely on the integration of stakeholders’ expertise and insights.”

Earlier, while declaring the event open, the FAAN Managing Director, represented by the Director of Special Duties, Obiageli Orah, sought stakeholders’ contributions toward addressing longstanding challenges in infrastructure, ground handling, and operational efficiency, while creating an enabling environment for trade and export growth.

Emphasising the collaborative nature of the initiative, she said, “This session marks a fundamental pivot; a shift from the old, transactional operator-stakeholder dynamic to a true, collaborative partner-partner relationship. Your expertise, your challenges, and your innovative ideas are not just welcomed; they are the critical ingredients for our collective success.”

She urged participants to co-create solutions that would position Nigeria as a strategic gateway connecting Africa to global markets.

Economist and Managing Director of Financial Derivatives, Bismarck Rewane, has projected that the market capitalisation of the Nigerian Exchange Limited will hit about N262tn in 2026 and move higher in the subsequent years, driven by big-ticket listings.

Rewane said this on Thursday at the annual Parthian Economic Discourse 2025 held in Ikoyi, Lagos.

The PUNCH reports that the NGX market capitalisation and benchmark index on Thursday rose by 0.12 per cent to N91.107tn and 143,239.23 points, respectively. This is the second day of positive trading this week.

Speaking at the event, Rewane projected that the market cap will rise further to N393tn as of the full year 2027 and N590tn by 2028.

“Today, we will be discussing Nigeria’s multidimensional global economy, key indicators, economic structure, global trends, and what we should be paying attention to. We’ll focus on five critical indicators, starting with the stock market. Stock market capitalisation today is around N90–91tn. Our projection is that it will reach N262tn. What could drive such a movement from about 20 per cent of GDP to roughly 80 per cent of GDP? New listings, improved earnings, and increased efficiencies.

The Dangote Refinery alone, valued at roughly $32bn, could significantly alter the picture when its earnings are factored in. NNPC is also expected to list. These variables will drive performance.

“Nigeria’s GDP is now estimated at $250bn after revision. The aspiration is $1tn by 2030. We don’t think that’s realistic, but certain adjustments will drive performance. The stock market is a major source of savings, capital raising, and a reflection of corporate performance.

It should make us optimistic.”

As it relates to the Monetary Policy Rate, the FDC boss said, “Interest rate outlook. Interest rates can’t be separated from inflation and money supply. The CBN surprised many by keeping rates unchanged recently, partly due to concerns around unstable inflation. Unstable inflation, fear of rising prices, is more influential than historical inflation. A day after Nigeria held rates steady, Ghana cut theirs sharply. Ghana’s economy, driven heavily by gold, is benefiting from rising gold prices. Nigeria is driven by oil, whose price outlook is weaker, which explains the divergence. We expect interest rates in Nigeria to decline, though not as sharply as Ghana’s. Political risk also differs between the countries.

“The inflation outlook for 2026 is around 12.7 per cent, rising to 15.3 per cent in 2027, before easing again (13.8 per cent in 2028). This is influenced by money supply growth, petrol and diesel price expectations, food inflation due to insecurity, and exchange rate pressures. We project the exchange rate around N1,450–N1,500 with some luck. External reserves must be viewed in the context of debt. The recent rise in reserves was due to the Eurobond issuance.”

Rewane, who also called for the creation of a working economy for Nigerians, noted that remittances remain a big deal. “Minimum wage increases abroad and labour market shifts can influence diaspora inflows. AI-driven displacement affects immigrants first, so we need to build an economy that works for Nigerians here. Total factor productivity is another major variable. Potential GDP vs real GDP matters. Capital stock growth of five per cent is significant, and investor confidence is improving; foreign or local, investors care only about returns.

“Nigeria’s economy today is $250bn. Net exports are $24bn and drive every other factor. Government expenditure’s dominance matters more than the quantum. Investment is $64bn, and Dangote Refinery alone contributes nearly half of that. This shapes total-factor productivity. Even with four per cent growth, getting to a $1tn economy is unrealistic. But we must aim high to land among the stars.”

In his comments at the event, the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Oluseye Olusoga, highlighted the need to stop looking at Nigeria in a silo.

“We need to look at Africa as a continent and see Nigeria as part of a larger African market. Nigeria is leading on AfCFTA, and that is something we all need to take advantage of. We’ve seen a lot of public sector engagement, but almost nothing from the private sector. When you go to places like Lomé or the Benin Republic, you’ll find that they regularly take advantage of AfCFTA from an industrialisation perspective. If we’re not careful, we’ll end up transferring wealth to other African regions because they see Nigeria as a huge market, they can effortlessly access.

“From a banking perspective, we all need to recognise that the world is changing. Nigeria has a role to play; if we don’t play it, nature abhors a vacuum, and others will take advantage. The government has made significant reforms over the last 18 months, many of them positive, and the economy has stabilised. However, what confronts us now is security, and investment only follows security. Without security, investment will not come. I challenge everyone here to take advantage of where we are. Security is not solely the job of the government; it’s also our collective responsibility. The theme today is apt. Part of the security challenge is that many people don’t feel they are prospering. Let’s think about our neighbours, about how we can provide jobs, and about how we can lift one another up. The banking sector must support that growth and help build new businesses and industries to create jobs for Nigeria’s emerging youth. That will also help reduce security issues,” he said.

The Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, in his comments on a panel session, reiterated the benefits of the tax reforms championed by his committee for vulnerable Nigerians.

Key measures that Oyedele highlighted include the reform that allows investors to claim FX losses on capital gains, exemptions for gains below N150m annually, resetting gains for reinvested funds, and eliminating taxes on bonus shares and share transfers. Beginning next year, corporate tax rates will drop from 30 per cent to 25 per cent, small businesses under N100m turnover will pay zero per cent corporate tax, and 98 per cent of workers will see reductions or removal of their PAYE tax. Essential items such as food, education, health, rent, and transportation will shift to zero per cent VAT with full input credit, significantly lowering consumer costs.

He maintained that the reforms aim to boost disposable income for 90 per cent of Nigerians, enhance market stability, attract long-term capital, and reverse the exit of foreign investors that contributed to FX pressures.

“As part of the broader reform, starting January next year, companies will see their corporate tax rate reduced from 30 per cent to 25 per cent. Anywhere else in the world, that would be headline news that excites the market. In Nigeria, it barely moves sentiment. Yet that reduction is worth N1.5tn based on 2024 collections. Another major change: from next year, companies will be able to claim input VAT credits on their assets, services, and overheads. Service companies have never had this before. That is worth N3.4tn based on 2024 figures, also good news.

“We should be excited about these reforms. We’ve taken away withholding tax on bonus shares, removed stamp duty on share transfers, and eliminated minimum tax on turnover and capital for businesses. These are reforms the capital market has demanded for decades. On PAYE: 98 per cent of workers in the private and public sectors will either see a reduction or complete removal of their PAYE from next year. The top 2 per cent, mostly the people in this room, will see a slight increase depending on income level. If you earn N2m or N3m a month, you won’t feel the difference. You only hit the 25 per cent top rate when you earn around N20m a month. And if you earn N2m or more monthly, you are already in the top two per cent in Nigeria.”

Using the example of a loaf of bread, Oyedele said, “Today it is VAT-exempt, meaning bakers don’t charge VAT but still bear VAT on input equipment, distribution, phone bills, and even sugar. They embed that VAT into the price. From next year, bread will be zero-rated. That means bakers charge zero per cent VAT and recover all VAT paid on inputs. That’s a big deal. We’ve done the same for education. From next year, schools will be zero-rated, allowing them to claim all input VAT.”

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the African Finance Corporation, Mrs Ireti Samuel-Ogbu, called for safety nets for vulnerable Nigerians as the reforms gain traction.

“Generally, the macroeconomic reforms have been incredible. We have seen GDP increase, and we have seen the current account increase. We have seen the FX rate stabilise, and the difference between the parallel rates and the official rates has really narrowed down to about 15 per cent. We have seen inflation come down; we have seen FX reserves increase tenfold. Everywhere you look, there have been fantastic reforms, but I think the biggest issue today, as we are talking about reforms that are inclusive, is that these reforms have crystallised into 61 per cent of our population being declared multidimensionally poor.

“That is a large number of people who cannot participate in the economy. They are not only poor, but they are also financially excluded. These are the people who are more likely to be impacted by the food inflation. We cannot talk about reforms and inclusion without talking about the safety net because it means half of the population cannot participate.”

The Managing Director of Parthian Pensions, Mr Olufemi Odukoya, spoke on the latest reforms introduced by the National Pension Commission and their impact on infrastructure funding.

He said, “The reforms introduced by the DG (of PenCom) speak directly to infrastructure. It was increased across all the funds from 10 per cent of your portfolio to 21 per cent. That tells you the impact. It was also included for private equities.”

Access Holdings, the parent company of Access Bank, is set to seek shareholders’ approval to raise about N40bn via private placement.

This plan was disclosed in a corporate filing on the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Thursday, indicating that a virtual Extraordinary General Meeting would be held to obtain shareholders’ approval.

The PUNCH reports that Access Holdings Plc in December 2024 announced that it had raised about N351.01bn. This development led to the company’s flagship subsidiary, Access Bank Plc, emerging as the first bank to meet the CBN’s N500bn minimum capital requirements for banks with international authorisation well ahead of the March 2026 regulatory deadline.

The corporate filing partly read: “THAT in compliance with the provisions of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020, the Investments and Securities Act, 2025, the Rulebook of the Nigerian Exchange Limited, the regulations and directives of the Central Bank of Nigeria (applicable to the Company as a licensed Financial Holding Company) and the Company’s Articles of Association:

“The Company is and is hereby authorised to raise additional capital of up to N40,000,000,000.00 or such other amount or its equivalent in foreign currencies as the Board of Directors may determine, through a private placement.

“That the issued share capital of the Company be and is hereby increased from N26,658,919,216.50 (Twenty-Six Billion, Six Hundred and Fifty-Eight Million, Nine Hundred and Nineteen Thousand, Two Hundred and Sixteen Naira, Fifty Kobo only) divided into 53,317,838,433 (Fifty-Three Billion, Three Hundred and Seventeen Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Eight Thousand, Four Hundred and Thirty-Three) ordinary shares of N0.50 (Fifty Kobo) each to N27,646,573,537 (Twenty-Seven Billion, Six Hundred and Forty-Six Million, Five Hundred and Seventy-Three Thousand, Five Hundred and Thirty-Seven Naira) divided into 55,293,147,074 (Fifty-Five Billion, Two Hundred and Ninety-Three Million, One Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand, Seventy-Four) ordinary shares of N0.50 (Fifty Kobo) each by the creation and addition of 1,975,308,641 (One Billion, Nine Hundred and Seventy-Five Million, Three Hundred and Eight Thousand, Six Hundred and Forty-One) ordinary shares of N0.50 (Fifty Kobo) each ranking pari passu with the existing ordinary shares of the Company, and that the Board (where it deems appropriate) be authorised to take the necessary steps to cancel any unallotted shares of the company or to further increase the share capital of the Company to an amount sufficient to accommodate any transaction undertaken by the Company to raise additional equity capital pursuant to the foregoing resolution or pursuant to the capital raising programme of the company.”

Access Holdings added that approval would also be sought to allot the new ordinary shares created in connection with the private placement, at a price of N20.25 or as otherwise determined by the board, to one or more investors.

This price is lower than the N21 at which the company’s shares closed trading on Thursday.