The Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has launched a dynamic Consumer Protection Roadshow in Lagos, aimed at educating passengers about their rights and responsibilities under aviation regulations.
The event, led by the NCAA’s Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Mr. Michael Achimugu, featured a colourful procession comprising staff, industry stakeholders, Nollywood actresses, mascots, and media personnel.
The roadshow began at the NCAA regional office, Lagos and made stops at key aviation hubs, including the General Aviation Terminal (GAT One), MMA2, and Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA).
NCAA staff, adorned in customized T-shirts bearing the roadshow’s theme, engaged passengers at arrival and departure terminals, sharing vital information about their rights under NCAA regulations.
Speaking about the essence of the initiative to newsmen, Mr. Achimugu emphasized the importance of raising awareness among Nigerian travelers.
“Passengers need to be more aware of their rights so that airlines would not cheat them. Little things about the regulation passengers need to know, for instance, if you arrive at an airport and your luggage does not arrive with you, most passengers do not know that they have a right to demand what we call first need compensation from the airline, if it is a domestic flight, you can walk to the airline counter and say give me my N10,000 you owe me for not bringing my bag for an international flight it is $170, a lot of passengers do not know these things”.
“Today, we are bringing an end to that circle of Ignorance”.
The roadshow, according to Mr. Achimugu, is designed to make this information accessible and engaging.
“We are bringing the regulations to Nigerians in an exciting manner because a lot of people do not like to read so, we want to make it easier by bringing it to their door steps”.
The NCAA recently launched a Consumer Protection Portal, which has significantly improved communication between passengers and airlines.
Mr. Achimugu highlighted the progress achieved so far, “Yes, the portal as with everything other thing that is technological has its teething issues which we are sorting out everyday but yes, the number of reports, complaints from passengers have increased and airlines are on their toes because like we told the public before, the portal is going to be revealing the rate at which airlines are attending to these complaints and resolving them. In the end, on the long run between now and January 2025, passengers would be able to see how many of those complaints are being resolved real time, on time and it is going to be impact on the way the airlines treat these issues”.
The Lagos roadshow is the first leg of a three-city campaign. Subsequent events are scheduled for Abuja and Port Harcourt.
“Our expectations is that, Nigerians become more educated about the NCAA regulations and their rights and responsibilities as well”.
The roadshow is part of a broader initiative that includes a stakeholders’ engagement forum scheduled for the following day.
This event will bring together key players in the aviation industry, including ground handlers, air traffic controllers, and agencies such as FAAN and NAMA amongst others.
“We are bringing in people in the industry whose work impact directly on the travel experience of Nigerian passengers, ground handlers, air traffic controllers for ATC, FAAN, NAMA, we are bringing all of them to speak and answer questions from passengers, we are bringing passengers as well, VIP, well known passengers who have had bad experience at the airports to come and face, throw their questions at all relevant agencies who have a mandate to answer those questions tomorrow.
In an interview, some air passengers at the MMA 2 terminal who applauded the initiative said, with its vibrant mix of education, engagement, and advocacy, the NCAA’s Consumer Protection Roadshow marks a significant step in empowering Nigerian travelers and enhancing the overall travel experience
