The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) has expressed strong disapproval over the continued insistence of three international airlines on selling tickets exclusively in United States dollars in Nigeria, describing the practice as both disrespectful to the country’s sovereignty and damaging to the naira.
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Speaking with The PUNCH, NANTA President, Yinka Folarin, criticised what he called the “arrogant stance” of the carriers, noting that while most of the aviation industry has reintroduced naira payments, a few airlines have chosen to exclude the local currency from their ticketing platforms.
“It is no longer a general industry problem. Only about three airlines are still selling exclusively in dollars. We are not allowed to name these airlines due to professional ethics and anti-competition regulations, but their actions are clear: they are punishing the naira, excluding it from trade within its own country,” Folarin said.
He described the policy as not just an industry concern but a test of Nigeria’s sovereignty. According to him, the airlines’ refusal to accept naira undermines recent reforms that have stabilised the foreign exchange market and enabled over 30 carriers to repatriate funds without difficulty.
“There is no justifiable reason for this anymore; liquidity has improved, the process is more transparent, and there are no outstanding remittance issues. If others can comply, why are these three still operating otherwise? It’s simply arrogance,” Folarin declared.
He commended the Central Bank of Nigeria and other regulators for their reforms and urged all aviation stakeholders to support the government’s economic recovery drive. “We are not asking for favours, we are asking for fairness. The naira deserves to be respected in its own country,” he insisted.
Aviation expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd.), also raised concerns that the policy may be linked to unresolved questions over trapped airline funds. “I am not sure if they have gotten their money. But if they have, the government should stop them immediately. I think this is happening because some people may be benefiting from it internally. That cannot stand if we are no longer owing them,” Ojikutu said.
He, however, noted that airlines often pay service charges in dollars, which could motivate dollar-based ticketing, but maintained that such practices must not override Nigeria’s economic sovereignty. “If a foreign airline continues to take dollars for ticket sales, it should be stopped and investigated,” he added.
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