According to the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), it handled passenger compensation and refunds of more than N1 billion in 2025, which is the largest amount of reimbursements in the organization’s history.
In an interview, Mr. Michael Achimugu, the NCAA’s Director of Public Relations and Consumer Protection, revealed this, pointing out that the change is a result of better regulatory enforcement and enhanced consumer protection.
Achimugu claims that domestic airlines gave passengers over N1 billion in refunds between May and July of 2025 alone, without the NCAA’s direct action. He characterized this as a major change in industry behavior.
According to him, greater refunds, compensation payments, hotel accommodations, and other passenger entitlements that were previously unknown to many air travelers have resulted from the tougher implementation of Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations, which has completely changed the customer experience and airline compliance.
Part 19 of the NCAA regulations has been more easier to police this year than it has ever been. We have so received the greatest number of reimbursements and compensations,” he stated.
Achimugu noted that the authority now offers round-the-clock assistance and credited the advancement to increased stakeholder involvement and passenger accessibility.
“Travelers are now aware that someone is always ready to listen. He added that the strategy has contributed to the restoration of confidence in the aviation industry and that even if problems are not entirely rectified, it won’t be because no one paid attention.
He said that airlines have also adapted to what he called a “new terrain,” emphasizing that following rules is now mandatory.
“Business as usual has ceased.” The majority of the time, airlines now cooperate without the need for escalation, he said.
However, Achimugu noted that many travelers prioritize their rights over their obligations and voiced concern about the growing problem of disorderly passengers and public pressure.
According to him, “the majority of passengers are fixated on their rights but not much about their responsibilities.”
He clarified that implementing rules against such behavior frequently puts the NCAA at conflict with public opinion, which occasionally sympathizes with wrongdoing because of emotional factors.
