Merchant Express Cargo Airlines Limited is a household name in the aviation industry. The organization has continued to grow in leaps and bound based on the array of professionals the company has in its kitty. As Upright personality of the Week, Captain Samuel Caulcrick, the Former Rector, Nigeria College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria and now one of the arrow head, and management team of Merchant Express speaks glowingly on the focus of the airline in 2025 in terms of service delivery and other sundry issues in the industry.
Let’s meet you
I am Samuel Akinyele Caulcrick a retired Airline Captain, I’ve been in the sector for just about 50 years that is from the time I entered the flying School till now. I started my career when I acquired my pilot license, I was retained by the college, there were about six of us sent abroad to the academy Oxford air training academy; after we came back we started building experience.
After the four years of bonding, we all rushed out into the industry and I ended up with Nigerian Airways where I started my airline career. We came in trained as co pilots on the F28 in service then it was a Jet and that was my first jet experience and I started rising from there. I was among the first Africans to fly the airbus, the airbus was just coming with new technology we were in course 6, I was trained as a co pilot on the airbus and from there I progress able to take command so I had to come down again, the airbus were international and local so that was my first international experience then I came back after acquiring enough experience to be come a captain so I went back to the UK again for the common training, came back and I was checked out as the Captain of Boing 737.
I rose to be a training captain on the 737, rose to be the manager of B737 fleet which were the biggest fleet in the Nigeria Airways that time, then I left when things were not going too well for Saudi Arabia to fly a bigger aero plane. I didn’t stay long in Saudi Arabia, I spent less than a year when I got attracted into the UK by the person that trained me a Ugandan when he was in Nigeria, Capt. Roy. He had a company, DAX air cargo, that was my first cargo experience it was in 1997 and I was with them for 10 years before coming back to Nigeria. Fortunately again I went back to the college where I started my own career and became the rector appointed by the President Goodluck Jonathan but before then I was in NCAA as Government Safety Inspector, so I’ve really worked in all the operational sectors of aviation. The operational sectors are Air traffic Control and Flight Operations, the mechanical sectors are the Engineering and the navigational part is Nigeria Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), so that’s me.
What is responsible for the lull in cargo business in Nigeria?
The cargo industry has indeed faced and is still facing challenges there are several factors that have contributed to the lull in cargo business. The first one is the global economic factors such as the recent surge in fuel crises have significantly impacted on the industry not only on cargo but also on the passenger side. Unlike the passenger section where they can impose fuel surcharges, the cargo business cannot because once the price is not that competitive, shippers start facing the seaports so they have an alternative so the price of fuel is more impactful in the cargo side than the passenger section because of the alternative air freight or sea freight.
Another one is infrastructural limitations which includes storage facilities and transportation networks which is not yet fully developed to support efficient cargo operations. Also there is policy and regulatory issues these include fluctuations in the Naira value and inconsistent policy formulations which have created uncertainty, deterring investors and hindering growth. Competition is another one because the market is dominated by established players it makes it difficult or challenging for new entrants to compete. However these challenges can be addressed through multi – faceted approach which includes
- Investing in infrastructure through developing modern storage facilities, transportation networks and logistics system to enhance efficiency.
- Policy reforms by implementing consistent and supportive policies to encourage investment and growth.
- Capacity building, this include providing training and development programs for industry professionals to improve skills and competitiveness.
- Promotion and marketing which has to do with enhancing the visibility and attractiveness of Nigeria’s cargo sector to attract more investors and customers.
What is being done to position Merchant Express Cargo Airlines for optimum performance?
To position Merchant express for optimum performance, we are focusing on Enhancing Operational Efficiency through technology and process optimization
Expanding Routes by increasing our networks to connect more destinations and attract new customers
Building Partnerships by collaborating with other industry players to share resources and expertise.
Investing in Capacity Building particularly human capacity building providing training and development programs for our staff to improve skills and competitiveness, these are what Merchant Express is doing.
What are the focus for merchant express for 2025?
we are trying to key into the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA), we are trying to take advantage and that will be our own focus to be impactful because it’s a new era for everybody, it’s going to be a new experience so it is better we position ourselves in front but that will require having partners outside Nigeria, and most of it has to be through air freighting. You see because of lack of resources in Africa, the cost capital is highest in Africa globally and that is a topic for another day. So air freighting is almost too expensive by the time it gets to the end user; but we can key into air freighting light commodities even if it has to be food. You know Africa has not developed food processing enough but they are about going into it now and packaging. What does food processing mean? Basically and technically its to remove water and let the end user add water when it gets there. Look at POUNDO is it not yam which is water? you process it into a powder, it becomes a fraction of its weight; you can air freight that cheaper and the end user adds water. It has to be processed food for it to be economically viable to air freight.
