The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has widened its ongoing investigation into what it described as suspicious and potentially exploitative increases in domestic airfares, particularly on routes serving the South-East and South-South, as the festive travel season intensifies.
In a statement on Friday, the FCCPC Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the expansion follows a fresh wave of public complaints alleging coordinated price manipulation by some domestic airlines.
The development comes days after the National Assembly summoned the Minister of Aviation over the persistent surge in ticket prices and allegations of collusive conduct among operators. The Senate resolution stemmed from a motion by Abdulfatai Buhari (APC, Oyo North), who warned that the skyrocketing fares threaten national mobility and could disrupt holiday travel.
Buhari told the Senate that Nigerians have spent the last three months lamenting “outrageous” airfares, noting that one-way tickets on some routes — especially in the South-East and South-South corridors — have risen by as much as 150 per cent, with prices now exceeding ₦300,000. Current fares show Abuja–Lagos tickets selling for between ₦400,000 and ₦650,000.
Ijagwu said the commission is scrutinising the pricing templates and ticketing behaviour of airlines operating on the affected routes to determine whether the fare spikes violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.
“Following public inquiries, the FCCPC today announced an expansion of the scope of the existing investigation into pricing templates behind rates charged for tickets by some airlines on some domestic routes, with a view to establishing possible violations of the provisions of the law,” the statement read.
He added that concerns had mounted over what appears to be coordinated manipulation or exploitation in airline ticket pricing as the festive season begins.
The renewed intervention comes months after major carrier Air Peace instituted a suit seeking to restrain the FCCPC from probing its pricing mechanism. The commission had earlier launched an inquiry after receiving multiple complaints of arbitrary fare increases.
Ijagwu clarified that the ongoing probe is “without prejudice” to the litigation, noting that the FCCPC remains legally empowered to act in the public interest.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Tunji Bello, stressed that although the agency is not a price control board, it is mandated to protect consumers from exploitation.
“For the avoidance of doubt, we are not a price control board. But the FCCPA 2018 empowers us to check the exploitation of consumers. When we receive petitions or find cogent evidence, we will not stand by and watch Nigerian consumers being exploited under any guise,” he said.
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He added that the commission would act decisively where evidence shows consumer welfare or market competitiveness is being undermined.
Under Section 17(b) of the Act, the FCCPC is empowered to monitor economic activities and identify anti-competitive, anti-consumer protection and restrictive practices, while Section 17(e) authorises it to conduct investigations as necessary.
Although the commission does not set prices, the law requires it to ensure fair pricing and protect consumers from excessive, opaque, misleading or collusive practices. In light of recent airfare spikes, the FCCPC said it is examining pricing patterns, the basis for the increases and any conduct that may undermine competition.
The commission pledged to apply appropriate enforcement measures where violations are confirmed and said further updates on the aviation investigation would be provided in due course.
This is not the first time domestic airlines have faced regulatory scrutiny over pricing. In 2022, the FCCPC and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority queried several carriers over a uniform base fare increase that raised concerns about cartel-like behaviour.
Nigeria’s aviation sector continues to grapple with forex scarcity, high aviation fuel costs, steep maintenance expenses and limited competition — factors often cited by operators to justify rising fares. However, stakeholders argue that these challenges do not explain the sudden and synchronised hikes across multiple airlines.