The Nigerian Senate has ordered the Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, and major airline officials to appear before lawmakers to explain the sharp rise in local flight fares.
Senators said the sudden jump in ticket prices has become a serious problem for many citizens. The action followed a motion by Senator Buhari Abdulfatai during Tuesday’s plenary. He warned that the new fare levels are pushing many Nigerians out of the skies and could cause wide travel disruption if nothing is done.
Senator Buhari noted that complaints from travellers have increased in recent weeks. He said the cost of flying inside Nigeria is now beyond what many people can afford. He told colleagues that a one way ticket from Abuja to Lagos now costs between N400,000 and N600,000. He also pointed out that many people avoid long road trips because of insecurity.
He urged quick action saying, “We need to invite stakeholders of our airline agencies to interact and interrogate the issues. Immediate steps must be taken before the festive period.”
Several senators supported the move. Senator Adamu Aliero criticised the fare rises as out of step with the economic reality facing ordinary Nigerians. Senator Onyekachi Nwebonyi described the ce as a “400 percent increment” and said the public should not accept such increases. He also asked why Nigeria still lacks a working national carrier.
Senator Solomon Olamilekan reminded the Senate that airlines have received many government concessions, including on spare parts and operations. He said the public deserves an explanation for why fares keep rising despite those benefits.
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu offered a different view. He said airlines face higher operating costs, such as rising maintenance bills and the cost of importing parts. Many senators, however, said this did not fully explain the huge ticket prices.
The Senate agreed that the Minister of Aviation, regulators, and airline operators must appear before the relevant committees this week to answer questions and seek solutions.
Why should aviation minister Keyamo be solely responsible for high domestic airfares? Lets consider all factors before pointing fingers!
Why should we blame the Aviation Minister for high airfares? Maybe airlines are the ones hiking prices! 🤔 #ControversialOpinion
Why should the Aviation Minister bear the burden of explaining high airfares? Shouldnt airlines be held accountable too? 🤔
Why should the Aviation Minister be solely responsible for high airfares? What about airline companies and market dynamics? Seems unfair.