Outrage Over Overland Airways’ Price Disparities: Consumer Group Petitions FCCPC Over Exploitative Fares On Lagos-Ilorin-Abuja Route

Ilorin,  Kwara State– A petition filed with the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has accused Overland Airways of exploitative and discriminatory pricing on its Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja flight route, prompting calls for a regulatory investigation and sanctions.

The petition, dated August 4, 2025, was submitted by the law firm A.U. Mustapha & Co. on behalf of The Third Estate and Like Minds Foundation.

It details how passengers travelling shorter distances on the same Overland Airways flight are being charged significantly higher fares than those covering longer distances.

According to the complaint, Ilorin-bound passengers—despite flying for just 50 minutes from Lagos—are charged as much as ₦260,000, while passengers continuing on the same flight from Lagos to Abuja (a 2 hour and 15-minute journey) pay only ₦160,000.

Meanwhile,  passengers travelling from Ilorin to Abuja reportedly pay ₦300,000 for a 55-minute flight, bringing the combined fare from Lagos to Abuja via Ilorin to a staggering ₦560,000 if tickets are booked separately.

The petition alleges that Overland Airways, which currently operates as the sole commercial airline in and out of Ilorin’s General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, is abusing its dominant market position by imposing arbitrary and excessive pricing.

Comparative fare checks on similar flight distances to other destinations such as Jalingo, Akure, and Lagos reportedly show significantly lower costs than Ilorin-bound flights, further highlighting the inconsistencies.

In what the petition describes as a sign of deliberate exploitation, Overland Airways is said to have started verifying boarding passes at Ilorin Airport to prevent Lagos–Abuja ticket holders from disembarking at Ilorin to avoid higher direct fares.

The petition cites several provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, including Sections 17, 18, 70, 72, 124, and 127, which prohibit abuse of dominance, excessive pricing, discriminatory practices, and unfair consumer treatment.

The petitioners are seeking urgent intervention by the FCCPC, asking the Commission to investigate Overland Airways’ pricing policies, declare them unlawful, order an immediate halt to the practices, and apply appropriate sanctions.

The petition was also copied to Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Mr. Festus Keyamo, SAN, and the Director-General of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, Captain Chris Ona Najumo.

The statement read, “Firstly, we commend the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for its consistent efforts in protecting consumer rights, promoting fair competition, and addressing abusive market practices in Nigeria. The FCCPC’s recent enforcement strides and public responsiveness continue to inspire confidence in consumers across various sectors. We trust that under your leadership, the Commission will remain a strong advocate for transparency, fairness, and accountability.

“Acting on behalf of The Third Estate and Like Minds Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “Our Clients”), we respectfully bring to your attention a matter of urgent concern regarding the obnoxious practices and the unscrupulous exploitation of consumers employed by Overland Airways, particularly on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja flight route.

“Our clients are organizations deeply concerned with the welfare and mobility of their members, many of whom are indigenes of the Ilorin Emirate and frequent travelers along the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja air corridor. Overland Airways currently enjoys a monopoly as the sole commercial airline operating in and out of the General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin.

“This dominant market position has enabled the airline to impose a pattern of exploitative, discriminatory, and unjustifiable pricing, particularly on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja route. Our clients, alongside numerous passengers, have reported alarming disparities in ticket pricing for the same flight, which merely uses Ilorin as a stopover,” Mustapha explained.

According to the senior advocate of Nigeria,  “Ilorin-bound passengers are consistently charged disproportionately higher fares, despite travelling a shorter distance. To illustrate:Passenger A: LOS–ABV (2hr 15mins) = ₦160,000 (Annexure 1)

“Passenger B: LOS–ILR (50mins) = ₦260,000 (Annexure 2). Passenger C: ILR–ABV (55mins) = ₦300,000 (Annexure 3).

“Effectively, the same seat yields ₦560,000 from Passengers B and C, compared to ₦160,000 paid by Passenger A who travels the full distance. This irrational and exploitative fare structure has caused significant hardship to Ilorin-bound passengers. Further evidence from fare inquiries on 23rd July 2025 for travel on 7th or 8th August 2025 confirms the following rates:Abuja to Ilorin (50mins) – ₦240,000.

“Abuja to Jalingo (1hr 05mins) – ₦160,000,Abuja to Akure (1hr) – ₦180,000, Abuja to Lagos (1hr 10mins) – ₦160,000 (economy), ₦230,000 (premium).

“The least fare to Ilorin exceeds the highest premium fare to Lagos, confirming that these prices are arbitrary and not distance-based. Moreover, our clients have informed us that passengers, in an effort to avoid the high LOS–ILR fare, began booking LOS–ABV tickets and disembarking at ILR. In response, Overland Airways reportedly began checking boarding passes at ILR to prevent such workaround; a clear indicator of intentional and structured exploitation.”

The statement continues, “We respectfully draw the Commission’s attention to the following statutory provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018 Cap C25 LFN 2004 (The Act) which confers jurisdiction on this Commission to entertain our humble Petition as follows: “Section 17(b): Identify anti-competitive, anti-consumer protection, and restrictive practices that adversely affect consumer welfare. Section 17(g): Eliminate misleading, unfair, deceptive or unconscionable marketing and business practices.

“Section 17(s): Ensure consumer interests receive due consideration and redress against unscrupulous exploitation. Furthermore, by virtue of section18(3)(d), the Commission is vested with the power to declare and prohibit abuse of a dominant position after proper investigation and also;

“Prohibit discrimination or preferences in pricing and related matters- Section – 18(3)(f), Section 70(1) provides to the effect that an undertaking is considered to be dominant if it can act without regard to customers’ reactions. Section 72(2)(a) prohibits the abuse of dominant position. It provides among others that Abuse of a dominant position includes charging excessive prices to the detriment of consumers.

“Section 73(1)(b) spells out the consequences of abuse of a dominant position to the effect that upon finding abuse of dominance, the Commission shall prepare a report and direct the undertaking to cease such practices.

“Section 124 provides among others that an undertaking shall not use unfair tactics or similar conduct in the supply of goods and services to a consumer. Section 127 prohibits undertakings from entering into contracts with consumers at prices that are manifestly unfair, unreasonable, or unjust.”

Mustapha prayers, “Based on the unassailable facts and the position of law as enunciated above, on the obnoxious practices and the unscrupulous exploitation of the consumers by Overland Airways, particularly along the Lagos-Ilorin-Abuja flight route, we respectfully pray that the Commission: Initiate an investigation into the pricing practices of Overland Airways on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja route;

“Declare the current fare regime discriminatory, excessive, and anti-consumer, in violation of Section 70(1), Section 72(2)(a), Section 124 and 127 of the Act; and  Invoke the provisions of the act and direct Overland Airways to cease these abusive pricing practices forthwith;

“Sanction Overland Airways appropriately for its continued disregard of consumer protection standards.

“We remain confident in the Commission’s capacity to intervene swiftly and justly in this matter. Our clients, along with many affected passengers, look forward to relief and redress under your regulatory authority. Please do not hesitate to contact the undersigned should you require further clarification or supporting documents,” the SAN added.