There is growing disquiet in Nigeria’s travel and tourism industry, particularly within the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies, over the activities of cross-border agents involved in ticket sales to Nigerian passengers.
These agents, registered with the International Air Transport Association, operate as international travel agencies with branches in several countries.
Nigerian travel agents under the umbrella of NANTA are increasingly expressing frustration, accusing these foreign-based competitors of encroaching on the local market.
Multiple interviews with local travel agents reveal that these international operators are beginning to threaten the viability of businesses in Nigeria and, in some cases, the jobs of international airline staff.
The PUNCH gathered that outbound ticket prices from Nigeria are significantly higher than those from other countries, a disparity only the airlines can explain.
However, many internationally affiliated agents are booking tickets for Nigerian passengers from their offices outside the country.
This practice implies that flights are leaving Nigeria fully booked, with many of the tickets not purchased through Nigerian-based agents.
Consequently, the financial benefits are not reflected in Nigeria’s economy.
The airline’s headquarters too will begin to view Nigerian markets as less viable markets that may not deserve much staff strength.
According to top NANTA members who spoke with our correspondent, this situation not only deprives Nigerian agents of their business and profit but also denies Nigerian-based offices of international airlines the recognition they deserve at their headquarters, potentially putting airline staff at risk of job loss.
Frustrated by the ongoing situation, Nigerian travel agents are now threatening to confront their colleagues engaging in cross-border trade in the industry.
However, the confusion of who should be held accountable is prevalent. While some agents blame international competitors, others argue that the airlines themselves should answer for the high fares in Nigeria, even in disregard of expected “home advantage.”
Speaking recently at the 49th Annual General Meeting in Lagos, NANTA President Yinka Folami declared a firm stance against cross-border ticket sales, lamenting that local agents had lost 40 per cent of their market to these foreign operators.
Visibly upset, Folami described the act of cross-border trading on ticket sales as “criminal and sinful”.
He further announced that five travel agencies operating across African countries are now under government investigation for their involvement in such practices.
“Cross-border sales are a sin and disrespectful to our economy. The government has asked us to present the names of the culprits. We have five names that have been mentioned. The country is investigating them for money laundering. We will stop it. We should also stop buying from them,” he said.
However, a top NANTA official, who requested anonymity to avoid backlash from aviation authorities, criticised the current approach.
According to him, the focus should not be on cross-border agents, who are “doing business”, but rather on international airlines and the Nigerian government.
He questioned the reasons behind NANTA’s battle against international agents, saying, “The NANTA should rather question the airline as to why fares have remained high in Nigeria even in the backdrop of home advantage.”
He added, “And again, why are they not questioning the Minister of Aviation and NCAA on why they have kept mute on the high prices against prices obtainable in other countries? I hope someone is not getting kickbacks. Instead, you are trying to fight our colleagues who are now big and pick tickets from any of their offices where tickets are cheaper!
“Which businessperson would want to buy from the costlier market? Some of the agents the NANTA president is trying to fight have branches in 52 out of the 54 African countries. Should we be fighting or collaborating with such persons?
“Imagine a ticket that is being sold here for N1.5m, being sold for N1.1m in the UK, and I have a friend who can help me raise it for that lesser price. Why won’t I woo more customers with that and also make more money? Although our market is being lost to that country.”
Another agent, Kazeem Taoreed, blamed the airlines for the emergence of cross-border ticketing.
He added that high fares in Nigeria stem from excessive government charges imposed on international airlines.
He, however, didn’t mention the charges but insisted that both the government and the airlines are in the best position to resolve the matter.
“The government and the airlines should do more work to ensure fares are reduced. The high air ticket fees result from the government’s high charges on the airlines. So, the ball stops on the government’s table; its willingness to stop all these wrongs will better our economy and country as a whole.”
Efforts to speak with the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Michael Achimugu, were unsuccessful as he neither picked up his phone calls nor responded to text messages regarding the matter.
