Nigeria to meet foreign airlines over rejection of naira

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says it will soon convene a meeting with foreign airline operators over their alleged rejection of naira payment for flight tickets.

Sam Adurogboye, General Manager, Public Relations, NCAA, said this in Lagos on Tuesday while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

Mr. Adurogboye confirmed that the NCAA had received complaints from some passengers, adding that they had the right to make payments in naira.

He, however, noted that the industry was facing some challenges, particularly the scarcity of foreign exchange and inability of foreign airlines to repatriate their funds.

“The truth is that the airlines are beginning to reject the naira because of the special circumstances that they have found themselves.

“In the BASA agreement, when you sell your tickets, you should be able to repatriate your money; but presently, the airlines are finding it hard to take their money home.

“So this problem has arisen now and we are looking at how to find a workable solution to it.

“We will be meeting with the airlines soon because this situation is exceptional and we cannot just wield the big stick against them,” Mr. Adurogboye said.

He said the Federal Government was also taking measures to ameliorate the subsisting foreign exchange issues, adding that the inability of the airlines to repatriate their money was not deliberate.

Some airlines are allegedly accepting payments made only with credit cards or dollars.

The practice however, contravenes the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) prerequisite guiding cost of products or services in Nigeria which directs that pricing of any product shall continue to be in Naira only.

It is also contrary to the provisions of the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) between Nigeria and other countries as contained in Article 8 (4). (NAN)