The Federal Government, through the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, has called on the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, along with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, to review a draft policy that suggests imposing stricter sanctions on airlines in response to the rising number of flight delays and cancellations across the country.
The Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and head of the CRDCU, Hadiza Bala-Usman, made this recommendation during a performance assessment meeting held at the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in Abuja on Wednesday.
The meeting was held as part of the ongoing review of the Q1–Q3 2024 Performance Assessment Report, focusing on the implementation of Presidential Priorities and Ministerial Deliverables.
The details of the meeting were shared in a post on the CRDCU’s X (formerly Twitter) account on Tuesday.
Bala-Usman stressed the importance of implementing stronger measures to protect passengers from the inconveniences and financial losses resulting from frequent flight disruptions.
She pointed out gaps in the Ministry’s stakeholder and customer engagement processes, mentioning that incomplete data on service delivery and complaints resolution were preventing a thorough and independent evaluation of progress.
Bala-Usman, while advocating for stricter penalties for non-compliant airlines, also suggested revising the current 224-day target for resolving customer complaints, describing it as “unrealistic” and inconsistent with international standards.
The report stated, “She described this as critical given the increasing number of flight delays and cancellations and the impact on affected passengers.
“She further recommended revising the current target of 224 days for resolving customer complaints, stating that it urgently requires recalibration to align with global best practices.”
She also urged a review of the timeline to ensure faster and more effective dispute resolution for passengers.
Responding, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, praised the CRDCU for its diligence and committed to addressing the challenges that were identified.
