Nigeria's federal government has given all foreign airlines operating in the country a 30-day ultimatum to end “the discriminatory practice that sees Nigerian passengers paying higher fares than other passengers in West Africa”. Minister Stella Oduah issued the ultimatum in the capital city of Abuja yesterday. She said any international airline operating in Nigeria which failed to dismantle the fare imbalance and other sharp practices within the next 30 days would be banned from operating in the country.
All of this started when British Airways refused to give up slots at Heathrow for Nigeria's Arik Air. There are reports that one-way, first class fares along the Lagos-London route are US$5,408, whereas the same booking for a passenger on the Accra-London route is US$2,399. Also, a one-way, business class fare on the Lagos-London route is US$3,685, compared to the US$2,049 on the same booking on the Accra-London route. Surely it is up to the airline to decide the costs of a route so long as there is no price fixing.