The Chief Executive Officer of Mainstream Cargo Limited, Oluseyi Adewale, has highlighted both the vast potential and the persistent challenges facing Nigeria and the wider West African cargo industry, stressing the need for deliberate policies and investment to unlock regional opportunities.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with ATQNews.com, the CEO noted that Nigeria’s cargo market dwarfs those of its neighbours, with many shipments that appear to originate from Ghana and other countries actually starting from Nigeria.
“Our market size is very large. Even concerning Ghana, if you do your study, you will discover that many of these shipments originate from Nigeria. People truck their goods there and then ship it from there to other markets,” he explained.
However, despite its size, Nigeria’s cargo sector struggles with limited infrastructure and poor air connectivity within the sub-region. The CEO recalled an instance where a shipment of a large LCD television to Sierra Leone could not be transported due to the absence of suitable freighters. “We had to reject it because we don’t have big freighters going there,” he said, adding that the cargo eventually had to be routed through Addis Ababa before reaching its destination.
He lamented the decline of airlines such as Arik Air, which once had a strong presence in West Africa, and pointed out that many carriers currently operating in the region, including Air Peace and Asky Airlines, either have restrictive cargo policies or lack sufficient connectivity. As a result, much of the region’s trade still depends on land borders and inefficient sea links.
Calling for urgent action, he stressed that governments and investors must collaborate to improve cargo infrastructure and policies across West Africa. “It is not as if there is no potential, but it needs concerted effort by sovereign countries to come together and say we want to improve this connectivity. We have to lure investors, airliners, and everyone in the value chain, and maybe there will be waivers on some of the potential costs so that the market can even start,” he said.
Despite the challenges, he remains optimistic about the opportunities that Nigeria’s large population and growing demand for exports present, insisting that the right strategies could transform the country into a true regional cargo hub.
