SAHCO appoints new Executive Director
…Promises shareholders enhanced dividends in 2023
Skyway Aviation Handling Company (SAHCO) PLC has appointed Herbert Odika as Executive Director, Operations, this was announced during the company’s 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) held at Marriott Hotel, Ikeja in Lagos.
Herbert Odika is a professional in aviation ground operational management, business development, sales, and marketing.
He is a 2001 graduate of Business Studies from the University of North London.
He started his career in the United Kingdom developing skills and experience in business negotiation with proven ability to motivate and influence others, excellent judgement with the ability to implement positive changes and raise performance standards. After 5 years of working in the United Kingdom, Odika came to Nigeria to assume the office of the Head of Operations and Business Development at FMC Aviation Services Limited where he helped to grow the business from the initial start-up stage to a prosperous period of sustainable growth and profitability from 2011 to 2018.
He was responsible for the operational management, finance and budgetary control, administration, and marketing strategies.
In 2018, Odika proceeded to Stansted Airport College in the United Kingdom as the Senior Tutor Aviation Operations to deliver classes, seminars and workshops within the Aviation and tourism landscapes while working closely with the Manchester Airport group.
Afterwards, Herbert Odika assumed the office of the Chief Operating Officer at NAHCO Aviance in 2019 where he was responsible for engaging in business acquisition in Africa, Middle East and Europe while establishing policies that promoted service excellence.
He went back to the United Kingdom in 2022 where he worked with Menzies Aviation as the Lost Luggage Coordinator, focusing on Operations, Customer Services, planning and reconciliation duties.
With his new appointment as SAHCO’s Executive Director of Operations, Herbert Odika would oversee the management of the day-to-day operations of the Passenger handling, baggage handling and ramp handling amongst other ground handling activities in all SAHCO’s stations across Nigeria.
Odika is a strict adherer to policies and procedures and is skilled in aviation ground handling, especially in accordance with international standards. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and a Member of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM).
By adding Odika to its astute Management team, SAHCO has proven its determination to maintain its position as an aviation ground handler of reference in Africa by ensuring that the team encompasses of highly skilled aviation professionals of international experience to ensure that the growing list of clienteles are treated to international standards.
SAHCO is an aviation ground handling company that offers Passenger Handling, Baggage Handling, Ramp Handling, Cargo Handling and Warehousing, Aviation security and profiling, Premium Lounge services and other aviation related services.
Meanwhile the Chairman of Skyway Aviation Handling Company PLC (SAHCO), Dr Taiwo Afolabi, has promised better dividends for the shareholders of the company for the current financial year ending Dec. 31, 2023.
Afolabi gave the promise at the 13th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company for the financial year ended Dec. 31, 2022 on Friday in Lagos.
He said the board was aware of shareholders’ desire for improved dividend.
According to him, the board decided to repeat the 16.5k dividend paid in 2021 because there was a need to channel resources to grow the company, a decision he said was currently yielding positive results.
“Our first quarter financial result shows that we are making more money and we are going to surprise our shareholders next year by giving them may be double this year’s dividend.”
He said that SAHCO in 2022 made massive investments in its bid to enhance its capacity to service its clients through the acquisition of modern equipment, provision of new facilities and capacity development for staff and board members.
“Training was key for us, as staff members from across various cadres were trained both locally and internationally to improve their skills and competencies.
“We are beginning to see the dividends of these investment with the company recording sound financial and non-business performances.”
As the company prospected for more clients, Afolabi said the management worked very hard to retain existing clients with a combination of superior customer service, bespoke solutions and excellent service delivery.
“It will interest you to note that this strategy produced great results with 60 per cent of the cargo operations in Nigeria in the year under review handled by our company,” Afolabi said.
Commenting on SAHCO’s operational and business performance for 2022, the Managing Directing, Mr Basil Agboarumi, said the company recorded a revenue of N11.125 billion against N6.707 billion recorded in 2021.
He said the company made gross profit of N4.366 billion in 2022 compared to N3.807 billion recorded in 2021.
He stated that the total assets for 2022 stood at N29.219 billion against N24.603 billion recorded in 2021.
Agboarumi reiterated that the company during the period under review focused on expansion with the acquisition of more ground handling equipment.
“As the clientele of SAHCO continues to grow, we have acquired a lot of ultra-modern ground handling equipment to meet our demands. This equipment are fitted with the latest technology in ground support.
“Our plan is to continue to acquire more as the industry demands so we can continue to provide top-notch ground handling services to enable us retain existing clients and to cater for clientele and business expansion which will translate to more future profits for the organisation,” Agboarumi said.
Speaking on the growth projection of SAHCO in 2023, he said the company would remain committed to walking through a path of improved revenue and profitability, satisfied client base and better remunerated shareholders.
Speaking virtually, a shareholder of the company, Comrade Lawrence Oguntoye, commended the board and management of the company for an impressive performance recorded during the 2022 financial year and urged the board to perform better in the current financial year.
He said the 16.50k dividend declared by SAHCO put smiles on the faces of the shareholders.
