West Africa’s aviation ground handling landscape just got more consolidated, and the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company Plc, NAHCO aviance, is the reason. The company has wrapped up a fresh round of contract wins and renewals that extend its dominance across the sub-region, while quietly opening a new chapter in non-aviation cargo with the export of solar cells to the United States.
It reads like a statement of intent. NAHCO, which has handled Qatar Airways for years, has now agreed to extend that partnership for another three years. Saudia Airlines, the Kingdom’s flag carrier and a long-time NAHCO client, will stay on for five more years. Regional powerhouse ASKY has also renewed for three years. And in a sign of where the market is headed, NAHCO has brought new entrant FlyGabon into its fold on a three-year deal that runs from October 2024 to September 2027. FlyGabon is pushing into Nigeria to stitch together West, Central and Southern Africa, and NAHCO will be the boots on the ground making those connections seamless.
Those deals sit on top of earlier 2026 wins with Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic and RwandAir, plus agreements with Sky 7, Pioneer, Avia Green, Benani and Aviation Clearing House. For a company founded in 1979 by the Federal Government, Air France, British Airways, Sabena and Lufthansa, it is a familiar pattern: keep the old partners close, bring the new ones in, and keep the aircraft moving.
But the story is not just about passenger airlines. In January 2026, NAHCO began handling exports of solar cells from Lagos to the US for BGE (Nigeria) Solar FZE. The consignments, between 20 and 50 tons each, have moved on Lufthansa, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines and DHL, with Access Freight and Ideal Royal managing the forwarding. NAHCO is doing the full cycle: accepting the cargo, building it up, warehousing, export processing, and turning aircraft around on time. More carriers are already lining up for the rapidly expanding business, and NAHCO is positioning itself as the handler that can do precision work beyond bags and boarding passes.
The leadership team is clear on why the deals keep coming. Prince Saheed Lasisi, Group Executive Director for Commercial and Business Development, said the renewals and new signings show NAHCO is “heads and shoulders above any other service provider in the industry.” With more than 47 years of unblemished service behind it, he says the company is ready to exceed what the new partners expect.
Group Managing Director and CEO Olumuyiwa Olumekun frames it as a strategy play. He points to continuous investment in technology and operational discipline as the reason clients trust NAHCO with their aircraft and now their cargo. The goal, he says, is simple: stakeholder happiness, benchmark safety, and reliability that sets the tone for African aviation. From passenger connectivity across the region to high-efficiency handling for precision cargo, NAHCO wants to be the total handling solution.
Today NAHCO operates in every major Nigerian airport. Listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group, it has grown from a FAAN joint venture into a multi-billion naira business with interests in energy, logistics, a Free Trade Zone company, airport management, travel and hospitality, and commodity export. Its biggest institutional investors as of December 31, 2025, are Godsmart Nigeria Limited with 25.51%, White Cowries Industries Limited at 8.65%, and Awhua Resources Limited.
With Qatar and Saudia locked in, ASKY renewed, FlyGabon onboard, and solar cells now flying to the US from Lagos, NAHCO is sending a message: West Africa’s ground handling leader is not standing still.
