The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) has condemned the continued insistence of three foreign airlines on selling tickets exclusively in United States dollars, describing the practice as disrespectful to Nigeria’s sovereignty and harmful to the naira.
NANTA President, Yinka Folarin, speaking with The PUNCH, faulted what he called the “arrogant stance” of the airlines, stressing that while most carriers had returned to accepting naira following improvements in the foreign exchange market, a few had deliberately excluded the local currency.
“It is no longer a general industry problem. Only about three airlines are still selling exclusively in dollars. We are not allowed to name these airlines due to professional ethics and anti-competition regulations, but their actions are clear: they are punishing the naira, excluding it from trade within its own country,” Folarin said.
He argued that the move undermines Nigeria’s efforts to stabilise the economy and amounts to a challenge to national sovereignty. According to him, “There is no justifiable reason for this anymore; liquidity has improved, the process is more transparent, and there are no outstanding remittance issues. Over 30 airlines are currently repatriating funds without challenges. If those ones can comply, why are these three still operating otherwise? It’s simply arrogance.”
Folarin commended the Central Bank of Nigeria and relevant authorities for reforms that boosted confidence in the FX market but urged stronger enforcement. “We are not asking for favors, we are asking for fairness. The naira deserves to be respected in its own country,” he added.
Aviation analyst, Group Captain John Ojikutu (retd.), linked the issue to trapped airline funds, saying if the government had settled those debts, there was no justification for dollar-only ticketing. He warned that some individuals might be benefiting internally. “If a foreign airline continues to take dollars for ticket sales, it should be stopped and investigated,” he said.
He acknowledged that airlines pay some service charges in dollars, but stressed that Nigeria must not compromise its sovereignty.
Industry players insist that with over 30 carriers already transacting in naira, the refusal of a few to comply threatens the progress made in strengthening the nation’s currency and rebuilding investor confidence.
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