The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) has strongly criticised the continued insistence of three foreign airlines on selling tickets exclusively in U.S. dollars, describing the move as an affront to Nigeria’s sovereignty and a deliberate blow to the naira.
NANTA President, Yinka Folarin, said despite improvements in the foreign exchange market, the airlines have refused to reintroduce the naira on their ticketing platforms.
“It is no longer an industry-wide challenge. Only about three airlines are still selling exclusively in dollars. We cannot name them due to professional ethics and anti-competition rules, but their actions are clear: they are punishing the naira in its own country,” he stated.
Folarin stressed that with over 30 other carriers now transacting in naira and repatriating funds without difficulty, the refusal of a few airlines to comply was unjustifiable.
“There is no reason for this anymore. Liquidity has improved, processes are more transparent, and remittances are being cleared. If other airlines can comply, why not these ones? It is simply arrogance,” he added.
He praised the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for reforms in the FX market and urged stakeholders to align with the federal government’s recovery agenda. “We are not asking for favors. We are asking for fairness. The naira deserves respect in its own country,” he insisted.
Aviation expert, Group Captain John Ojikutu (rtd.), linked the issue to unresolved concerns about trapped funds but argued that if government obligations have been settled, there is no basis for dollar-only sales.
“If their money has been paid, the government must stop this practice immediately. This cannot continue if we are no longer owing them. It is wrong and must be corrected,” Ojikutu said, adding that internal beneficiaries may be enabling the policy.
While acknowledging that airlines often settle service charges in dollars, he stressed that Nigeria must assert control over its aviation market. “If any airline insists on dollar-only ticketing, it should be investigated and sanctioned,” he warned.
The resistance from NANTA and experts underscores growing frustration in the aviation sector, with stakeholders warning that continued rejection of the naira by a few carriers risks undermining Nigeria’s economic stability and efforts to restore confidence in the local currency.
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