The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has revealed that six domestic airlines could face sanctions for alleged arbitrary increases in airfares during the Christmas travel period.
Executive Vice Chairman of the commission, Tunji Bello, disclosed this during the “Meet the Press” briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the State House in Abuja.
Bello stated that investigations by the commission uncovered indications of coordinated fare increases during the festive season.
He added that the affected airlines may be required to refund excess charges to passengers once the final report is released.
According to him, ticket prices that previously ranged between ₦145,000 and ₦150,000 reportedly rose sharply to between ₦450,000 and ₦670,000 during the period under review.
“We have completed investigations into complaints that airlines fixed prices during the Christmas period. The final report will detail the penalties, and we are considering requiring refunds to affected passengers,” he said.
The FCCPC boss also announced that the commission recovered more than ₦10 billion for consumers through complaints resolved between March and August 2025.
He revealed that over 9,000 consumer complaints were handled within that period.
Bello urged Nigerians to utilise the commission’s formal complaint channels instead of expressing dissatisfaction informally.
“Our work is evidence-based. Consumers must lodge complaints so we can investigate and ensure justice,” Bello said, adding that the commission’s digital platform allows consumers to submit complaints and track their progress.
He further disclosed that the FCCPC is closely monitoring commodity prices nationwide amid tensions in the Middle East.
Bello explained that this monitoring aims to prevent businesses from exploiting global developments to justify arbitrary price increases.
According to him, the FCCPC has activated a monitoring mechanism across critical sectors of the economy to track pricing trends and discourage anti-competitive practices.
Bello said the commission is collaborating with agencies including the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission to monitor developments in the petroleum sector.
On the issue of rising cement prices, the FCCPC boss confirmed that the Federal Government has established an investigative committee to examine the situation following widespread public concerns.
He clarified that while the commission does not directly control prices, it is empowered under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 to investigate and prosecute anti-competitive practices such as price fixing.
Bello added that the commission has already prosecuted more than 55 cases under the law, with additional cases currently pending.
