05/08/2025
Ilorin-Based NGOs Petition FCCPC Over Exploitative Airfare Practices by Overland Airways
In a coordinated effort to safeguard the interests of their members and the Ilorin Emirate community at large, two prominent non-governmental organisations, Third Estate and Ilorin Like Minds Foundation, have jointly petitioned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over what they describe as exploitative and discriminatory pricing practices by Overland Airways on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja flight corridor.
The petition, submitted through the office of its legal adviser, A.U Mustapha & Co, outlines several alarming fare inconsistencies. For instance, while a passenger flying the full Lagos–Abuja route (2 hours 15 minutes) pays ₦160,000, a Lagos–Ilorin passenger (50 minutes) is charged ₦260,000, and an Ilorin–Abuja passenger (55 minutes) pays ₦300,000. Overland Airways thereby earns ₦560,000 from two short-haul passengers—more than three times the fare of one full-route traveler—suggesting a pricing model that is irrational, punitive, and unjustifiably targeted at Ilorin-bound passengers.
Further analysis of fares as of July 23, 2025, for flights scheduled on August 7 and 8, 2025, revealed that shorter Ilorin-bound flights are priced higher than longer flights to cities like Jalingo, Akure, and Lagos. Notably, a one-way Abuja–Ilorin ticket costs ₦240,000, while Abuja–Lagos costs ₦160,000 (economy) and ₦230,000 (premium)—reinforcing concerns that Overland’s pricing has no basis in distance or operational logic.
According to the petition drafted by Abdulhakeem Uthman Mustapha, SAN, passengers have reportedly attempted to bypass the excessive Lagos–Ilorin fare by booking the cheaper Lagos–Abuja tickets and disembarking at Ilorin. In response, Overland allegedly began verifying boarding passes at Ilorin—a move the NGOs interpret as a deliberate and structured effort to maintain an exploitative fare regime. These actions, they argue, raise serious concerns of consumer exploitation and abuse of market dominance.
Relying on several provisions of the FCCPC Act, 2018, including Sections 17, 18, 70, 72, 73, 124, and 127, the petitioners—through A.U. Mustapha (SAN)—argue that Overland’s practices violate consumer protection laws and constitute a clear abuse of its dominant market position. They are urging the FCCPC to investigate, declare the fare regime unlawful, order an end to the exploitation, and impose appropriate sanctions if necessary.
In addition to the FCCPC, the petition has also been copied to key stakeholders in the aviation sector: Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, Hon. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development of Nigeria; and Captain Chris Ona Najumo, Director General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). The NGOs reaffirm their confidence in the FCCPC’s mandate to uphold consumer rights and foster fair competition. They await swift regulatory intervention and stand ready to provide further clarification or evidence in support of their petition.
