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Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, says the sharp rise in domestic airfares is driven mainly by aircraft scarcity, high leasing costs, and inadequate local maintenance facilities.
He clarified that the Nigerian government cannot regulate or cap ticket prices because the aviation sector has operated under a deregulated regime since the Babangida administration.
Keyamo made this known after Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, following a Senate resolution summoning him and aviation stakeholders over escalating fares ahead of the festive season.
Senator Abdulfatai Buhari (Oyo North), who raised the motion, warned that the trend threatens national mobility.
The minister said he could not honour the Senate’s invitation due to the FEC meeting, but noted that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) and airline operators attended on his behalf.
According to him, several factors continue to push fares upward, including insufficient aircraft in the country, expensive dry leasing arrangements, lack of local maintenance, forcing airlines to conduct checks abroad and pay in foreign exchange, and limited infrastructure and high operating costs.
Keyamo announced a positive development — the return of a major international aircraft lessor to Nigeria after nearly 20 years. He noted that one airline recently secured a dry lease at about one-third of the previous costs. He expressed optimism that more aircraft will increase competition and eventually reduce ticket prices.
On reports of multiple taxes and charges highlighted by ECOWAS, the minister said tax policy does not fall under his ministry, but he has forwarded the concerns to the relevant fiscal authorities.
Major Infrastructure Upgrades Approved
Keyamo also disclosed that the FEC approved multiple aviation infrastructure upgrades, including advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control Systems (A-SMGCS) for Lagos and Abuja airports, modular control towers for eight airports, upgraded VHF radio communication systems for nine airports (Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ilorin, Kano, Maiduguri, Sokoto, etc.), biometric-enabled electronic gates (e-gates) for all international airports to speed up passenger processing, and extension of the maintenance contract with CCECC for the Aminu Kano International Airport terminal
He said the upgrades align with President Tinubu’s directive to modernise aviation infrastructure, boost efficiency, and enhance safety across the country’s airports.
