Abuja: The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says it has concluded investigations into the high airfares charged by airlines during the 2025 Yuletide period. The Executive Vice Chairman of FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, stated that the commission was considering mandating the airlines to refund affected passengers over excess charges. Bello addressed State House correspondents regarding the commission’s activities.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Bello revealed that their preliminary report found the airlines at fault, and a final report will be issued soon. The commission is contemplating a situation where airlines will be required to refund passengers for the excess charges, which were believed to be exploitative. Bello highlighted that airfares surged from approximately N145,000 to N150,000 to between N405,000 and N600,000 during the Christmas period, prompting the investigation.
Bello indicated that the situation might involve collusion among airlines aimed at price fixing, although he refrained from naming the airlines involved. Furthermore, the FCCPC is investigating alleged exploitative pricing in other key sectors, including baby formula, pharmaceuticals, cement, and airline tickets, following consumer complaints.
Bello explained that while Nigeria operates a free-market economy, the FCCPC would step in when businesses exploit consumers or engage in unfair market practices. He noted that inflation is primarily driven by macroeconomic factors, but practices such as price manipulation, artificial scarcity, and deceptive repackaging exacerbate the burden on consumers.
The FCCPC’s enforcement operations uncovered deceptive practices like repackaging lower-grade rice and presenting them as premium brands. Some retailers were also found manipulating prices at checkouts, charging amounts different from the shelf prices. Bello disclosed that some stores in Abuja and other cities have been sealed, and compliance notices issued to erring businesses.
Bello cautioned businesses against exploiting current economic conditions to take advantage of consumers and urged Nigerians to report cases of unfair pricing or deceptive practices through the commission’s complaint channels. He added that the commission had helped consumers recover more than N10 billion through dispute resolution from January to October 2025.
Additionally, the FCCPC is collaborating with other regulatory bodies to address unethical practices in the digital lending sector and strengthen consumer protection. On concerns regarding global geopolitical tensions, particularly involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, Bello assured that the commission was monitoring the situation to prevent businesses from exploiting these global developments to unjustifiably inflate prices in Nigeria.