Business

Concerns Mount Over Airfare On Lagos-London Route

Published

3 years ago

December 2, 2022

Lagos travellers pay 439% more

•Why we charge different fares from Nigeria-London — BA

Passengers travelling from Lagos to London in the coming days might be forced to travel through Abuja to their destination.

This is coming on the heels of massive differential in airfares for passengers travelling to Heathrow Airport, London through Lagos and those going through Abuja.

Findings by Vanguard Aviation World show that passengers flying on one-way economy ticket through Abuja on British Airways, BA, pay $501 (about N222,093) while those travelling through Lagos on the same airline and ticket class pay as much as $2,700 (about N1,196,910)

Also, passengers travelling through Ethiopian Airline on one-way economy ticket through Abuja pay N700,000, while those going through Lagos on the same airline and ticket class pay as much as N2.8million.

The fare differentials, according to industry operators may not be unconnected to demand and supply differentials but also noted that the distance is almost same for the two routes.

Vanguard gathered that flights from London to Abuja take six hours, and 20 minutes, while flights to Lagos from London take six hours and 25 minutes.

Though Air France maintains same fares from both routes the amount is also high at $2,141 (about …) on similar ticket class for a one-way journey.

Passengers’ reactions
A traveller who spoke to Vanguard about the development lamented her amazement to the development.

According to her, “I was to travel to London next week. So in a bid to ensure i pay less, I open the booking portal of BA, I was in Abuja and I mistakenly clicked on Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, and i was taken to the price to my amazement, the price i saw there was $2,700 I was shocked.

“I had to check very well to see if i had punched something odd. I realised I inputted Lagos instead of Abuja. So I had to readjust and the price I finally saw was far lower. This was quite outrageous as it was not supposed to be so.”

Another traveller who spoke to Vanguard Aviation World, said: “Why will Ethiopian Airline, and Africa airline put their airfare to London this high? I was expecting their price to be lesser than others but I was wrong.

“Even the price in Lagos differs by a far margin. Why would it be so?

“The ministry responsible should look into it, as for me it can only be attributed to extortion.”

Why our airfares differ in Nigeria – BA

Speaking to Vanguard Aviation World on the situation, BA’s Spokesperson, Josephine Simmons, explained that airfares can differ due to availability, airport taxes and other factors.

She stated: “Prices differ by airport due to numerous factors including customer demand and fare charges – including airport taxes.

“Most customers book their flights in advance, benefiting from competitive fares.”

Other stakeholders comment
The development has created a series of reactions from both stakeholders and travellers across the country.

While some stakeholders attributed the development to the exploitation of Nigeria’s passengers, others stated that the less demand in Abuja was strengthened by the security challenges.

According to the Principal Partner, Avaero Capital, Sindy Foster, the development possibly might be due to more demand than supply in Lagos.

“If BA had more demand from Abuja price would probably be higher. Most people are not flying direct between Abuja and London. I expect demand for Abuja went down due to security issues.”

Flights tend to be lower if there is more supply against demand. It is good that prices have come down in Abuja. Will be interesting to work out why they are still high in Lagos. I suspect there is less demand for Abuja.

The chairman of United Nigeria Airline, Obiora Okonkwo, said: “Why do foreign airlines charge Nigeria so much?

“In the aviation industry, one-hour flight fuel consumption is the same, the only difference is maybe different landing charges in London or Ghana, the rest is the same.

“I can assure you that if Air Peace goes to London today, Nigerians will fly to London with an Economy ticket of N500,000. Today the price is about N2 million, why should we pay such if they are converting from N450 to $1?

“We owe Nigerians this explanation. However, whatever is going on, this is a wake-up call that the local operators have to be supported as they have all it takes to operate internationally.

“Emirates have over $5 billion in support from their government. When we ask for support, it is not free, we pay back. American Airlines have equity of over $60 billion and a debt profile of $70 billion and those debts all come from government support.

“If the local airlines are supported, we can have the capacity that cannot be threatened globally. The easiest flight to operate is a long haul. Short haul is even more difficult as it is stressful to both the aircraft and cabin crew.

“It is even easier to go to London, aviation is the same globally, you are audited by IOSA, IATA and that is, they prevented us and make us looks bad.

“They are also aware that our quality and regulatory standards are high. We get crews and captains coming to Nigeria and they fail our exams and we send them back.”

Foreign airlines frequency in Nigeria
It would be recalled that Nigeria, a destination of over 22 foreign carriers, manages Bilateral Air Services Agreements, BASA, with over 78 countries.

These airlines operate daily, and weekly in Nigeria.

Ethiopian and ASKY, Togolese airline also operated by Ethiopian Airline, together operate 54 frequencies weekly in Nigeria.

African World Airways (AWA) has 49 frequencies per week; British Airways and Virgin Atlantic operate 21 frequencies weekly into Nigeria; EgyptAir with 16; Air France 15; Saudi Arabian Airways 13; Emirates 11; Lufthansa 11; Air Cote d’Ivoire10; Qatar 9; South African Airways 7.

Others were Delta, Royal Air Maroc, RwandAir, Sudan Airways, and Turkish Airways, which enjoy seven frequencies without reciprocity from Nigerian airlines.

Also, Etihad has five frequencies; Fly Mid Africa has four; Middle East Airlines – has four and Air Italy formerly Meridiana has three weekly flights to the country.

Business

NUPENG Accuses Dangote Of Breaching Agreement, Says Nationwide Strike Inevitable

Published

12 hours ago

September 12, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, has accused the management of Dangote Group of violating a peace pact brokered at the Department of State Services, DSS, headquarters on September 9, warning that a nationwide strike appears inevitable.

A statement by NUPENG President, Prince Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, placed members nationwide on red alert, urging them to prepare for a possible resumption of the suspended industrial action.

The statement reads: “This is to alert the general public and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that, notwithstanding the resolution reached and signed at the office of the Department of State Services (DSS) — with three Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Deputy Director-General of the DSS in attendance — on the right of workers to unionise, Mr. Sayyu Aliu Dantata, on Wednesday, 10th September 2025, instructed all his truck drivers, who have been members of NUPENG-PTD for several years, to remove the union stickers from their trucks.

“Today, Thursday, 11th September 2025, he further instructed them to forcefully drive into the Dangote Refinery to load products. Officials stopped them from entering the refinery because their trucks violated the loading rules and regulations.

“We strongly condemn this attitude towards the official institutions of this great country and blatant lack of respect for the laws of the land.

“We call on the Federal Government not to allow the security agents — who are being paid with the resources of this country — to be used with impunity against the laws and people of Nigeria.

“Security agents should not allow any individual to breach the law, particularly while disregarding agreements reached in meetings facilitated by them and attended by Ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“By this statement, we are placing all our members on red alert for the possible resumption of the suspended nationwide industrial action. We also call on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), all regional and global working people, and civil society organizations to rise in support and solidarity against this threat from the capitalist elite.

“His wealth cannot place him above the law.

“We assure the people and government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria that NUPENG will continue to remain a patriotic, responsible, and responsive organization committed to the progress of this great country.”

Business

FG Revokes 5% Telecom Tax On Voice, Data Services

Published

23 hours ago

September 11, 2025

Editor

The Federal Government has scrapped the 5% excise duty tax previously imposed on telecommunications services, including voice calls and data usage.

The National Orientation Agency made this known in a post via its official X (formerly Twitter) page on Thursday.

The post said the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu ordered the removal of the tax during discussions on the recently passed Finance Act.

The NCC boss noted that the move is expected to ease cost pressures for millions of mobile users in the country.

Maida added that the President’s intervention was aimed at preventing additional financial strain on citizens while supporting the digital economy.

“The development is expected to bring relief to over 171 million active telecom users across the country, many of whom have faced a 50% tariff increase implemented earlier this year,” he added.

According to The PUNCH, the tax, which applies to both voice calls and data subscriptions, was introduced under the administration of late former President Muhammadu Buhari.

The 5% excise duty, which was first announced in 2022, had faced widespread criticism from both telecom operators and consumer rights groups, who warned it would worsen the financial burden on Nigerians amid rising living costs.

The government’s justification then was part of its effort to boost revenue generation amidst dwindling oil earnings.

The Ministry of Finance at the time argued that the levy was in line with global taxation practices.

Telecom operators, under the umbrella of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, however, warned that the policy would be counterproductive.

The ALTON noted that Nigeria already had one of the highest tax burdens on the telecommunications sector in sub-Saharan Africa.

Business

BUA Foods Declares N13 Per Share Dividend For Shareholders

Published

24 hours ago

September 11, 2025

Editor

BUA Foods Plc has announced a dividend of N13 per share for its shareholders following the company’s 4th Annual General Meeting on Thursday in Abuja.

According to a press statement issued after the AGM on Thursday by the Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications for BUA Foods, Adewunmi Desalu, this payout represents a significant 136 per cent increase from the N5.50 paid the previous year.

The dividend was declared after BUA Foods reported a profit after tax of N265.9bn for the 2024 financial year, marking a 137 per cent growth from N112bn in the prior year.

The statement read, “BUA Foods Plc, a frontrunner in Nigeria’s Food manufacturing Industry and the most capitalised Business on the Nigerian Exchange Limited, held its 4th Annual General Meeting in Abuja at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel.

“At the meeting, shareholders approved a dividend of N13 per share, representing a 136 per cent increase from N5.50 paid in the previous year,” the statement read.

In the statement, the Chairman of BUA Foods, Abdul-Samad Rabiu, expressed gratitude to the shareholders for their unwavering support.

He highlighted the company’s progress in tackling food supply challenges and advancing food security.

“We remained steadfast in our operations and achieved notable progress on key strategic initiatives geared towards addressing food supply challenges and promoting food security,” Rabiu was quoted in the statement.

Rabiu also provided insight into the company’s growth plans, including the expansion of its pasta production facility, which will introduce nine new long-cut pasta lines, doubling the company’s annual capacity.

Also, BUA Foods is set to enhance its flour division with the construction of four state-of-the-art wheat milling plants, significantly increasing its milling capacity.

He further noted that the company’s sugar agricultural project remains on track for completion.

Managing Director of BUA Foods, Ayodele Abioye, attributed the company’s growth to strategic investments in production systems, market penetration, and product diversification.

He emphasised that these efforts had been key to the company’s resilience amid a volatile economic environment.

Abioye also expressed gratitude to shareholders, employees, suppliers, and customers for their roles in the company’s continued success.

The statement also included comments from various shareholders who praised the company’s performance.

The National Coordinator of the Pragmatic Shareholders Association, Mrs Bisi Bakare, commended the Chairman for his leadership and expressed satisfaction with the dividend payout.

The President of the Association of the Advancement of the Rights of Nigerian Shareholders, Dr Faruk Umar, noted BUA Foods’ remarkable growth, citing the company’s N1.5tn revenue as an outstanding achievement.

The President of the New Dimension Shareholders Association, Patrick Ajudua, also lauded the company’s consistent delivery of value to shareholders and encouraged other investors to consider adding BUA Foods shares to their portfolios.

At the AGM, all resolutions were approved by shareholders, including the re-election of directors and the approval of remuneration policies.

The PUNCH observed that in the firm’s 2024 financial results, BUA Foods reported growth across key performance metrics.

The company’s revenue soared to N1.53tn, an increase from N729.4bn in 2023.

The earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation stood at N481.7bn, a rise from N215.7bn the previous year.

The company’s EBITDA margin also improved, rising to 31.5 per cent from 29.6 per cent in 2023.

The company’s earnings per share for the year were N14.78, an increase from the N6.23 recorded in 2023.

Also, BUA Foods reduced its net debt to N360.5bn, down from N551.5bn in 2023. Total assets grew to N1.09tn from N1.07tn the previous year, further highlighting the company’s solid financial standing.

In terms of capital expenditure, BUA Foods allocated N31.6bn for the year, although this was a decrease from the N37.1bn spent in 2023. Free cash flow also decreased to N31.3bn from N99.6bn in 2023.