KEY POINTS

• Nigeria is working to lower airfare costs by easing aircraft leasing.
• Lagos and Abuja airports have improved security and received recertification.
• The government is pushing airlines to lower airfares after clearing trapped funds.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has announced efforts to lower airfares for domestic and international travel while implementing stricter security measures at major airports.

Speaking at a ministerial press briefing in Abuja, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo highlighted key factors driving high ticket prices.

According to Punch, he pointed to limited aircraft leasing options, high airport taxes, and foreign airlines’ inability to repatriate funds as major contributors to the issue.

“We are addressing challenges that have made air travel expensive for Nigerians. Domestic airlines struggle to lease aircraft at affordable rates, forcing them to rely on costly alternatives.

However, upcoming agreements from the Cape Town Convention and Dublin Conference will help resolve this,” Keyamo said.

The government works to secure cost-effective leasing agreements for airlines as part of its relief strategy that aims to reduce Nigeria airfare available to passengers soon.

Security upgrades at major airports

Keyamo announced details regarding improved airport security standards which specifically focused on Nigeria’s busiest international gateways.

“We are pleased to report that both Abuja and Lagos International Airports have received recertification after addressing over 130 security gaps.

These enhancements ensure better protection for passengers and airline operations,” he stated.

The minister added that Kano International Airport is also undergoing a similar process to meet international aviation security standards.

Keyamo maintains that aviation safety enhancements represent the key requirement to draw international flight activity, as they help Nigeria maintain its aviation sector prominence as a global competitor.

Foreign airlines and fare adjustments

Another pressing issue is repatriating foreign airlines’ trapped funds, which previously caused inflated ticket prices for Nigerian travelers.

“When we took office, some airlines had three to four years’ worth of earnings stuck in Nigeria because of foreign exchange liquidity issues at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN),” Keyamo explained.

Since then, the government has implemented monetary policy reforms, including floating the naira and clearing a backlog of $893 million in trapped airline funds.

However, despite these efforts, airlines have continued to charge Nigerian travelers higher fares than those in neighboring countries like Ghana.

“We called international airlines and made it clear: now that the trapped funds have been cleared, there’s no justification for keeping Nigerian ticket prices artificially high,” Keyamo said.

To address this, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has initiated talks with airlines to ensure fair pricing.

The government is also exploring ways to reduce excessive airport taxes, which airlines factor into ticket prices, passing the costs onto passengers.

“We recognize that Nigeria’s aviation taxes are among the highest in Africa, and we are in discussions with the Ministry of Finance to explore possible reductions,” Keyamo noted.

With these policy adjustments, the government aims to make air travel more affordable while ensuring that airports remain safe and internationally compliant.