…as airfares surged by over 100 per cent
As the Christmas and New Year festivities draw near, foreign exchange uncertainty and rising aviation taxes are pushing airfares higher across Nigeria, even as worsening insecurity on major highways forces more travellers to take to the skies.
Policy instability and growing safety concerns have left millions of Nigerians grappling with higher travel costs, turning the traditional holiday homecoming into a difficult choice between unaffordable flights and increasingly dangerous road journeys.
Mounting insecurity on major highways, soaring airfares and the emotional strain on families have combined to make this one of the most challenging travel seasons in recent years.
For many, the decision to travel is now shaped by fear as much as by festivity.
Barbara Brown, determined to spend Christmas with her family, admitted that despite the deadly spate of kidnappings on highways, her excitement outweighs her fear.
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“The excitement of meeting my parents, my loved ones, this festive season, the celebration that comes with it, supersedes the fear I have for the bandits or the kidnappers. It has nothing to do with cost,” she said.
Not everyone shares her courage. Elejoh Wada, who had planned to travel to Kogi, cancelled his trip entirely. “I’m not going. Insecurity. As much as I want to celebrate the season with my loved ones, I have to consider the high level of insecurity in the country,” she said.
As Christmas approaches, Nigeria’s festive spirit is overshadowed by a troubling reality, for many, the journey home is no longer a joyful routine but a choice between risk and survival.
These personal anxieties mirror a national crisis. Highways across Nigeria, particularly in the north have become hotspots for kidnappings, robberies and deadly attacks.
Hundreds of commuters have been abducted or killed on the Abuja–Kaduna, Kaduna–Lokoja, and Lokoja–Abuja routes in the past few years. Even the Abuja–Kaduna rail line, once seen as a safer alternative, continues to evoke fear following the March 2022 attack that left passengers dead and scores kidnapped.
Recent events have only deepened this fear. Recently, bandits ambushed two 18-seater buses on the Osokoko–Obajana highway in Kogi State, abducting passengers and leaving others fleeing into the bushes.
The ripple effect of this worsening insecurity is felt nationwide. Many families now experience heightened anxiety until loved ones safely reach their destinations.
As roads grow increasingly deadly, more Nigerians are turning to air travel, pushing demand, and prices, to unprecedented levels, with some tickets rising over 100% for the festive season.
A popular airline’s fares for December 26th, a round-trip ticket from Abuja–Owerri cost as low as ₦480,000 to as high as 814,000
Abuja–Lagos fares on Sunday, December 14, 2025, is N 240,200, while a flight the next day, December 15, 2025, is priced at N 335,500
Abuja–Kano, The lowest available fare is ₦102,100, marked as the best offer, while a higher fare option of ₦287,800 is also shown.
Abuja–Port Harcourt for Saturday, 20 December 2025, the lowest available fare is ₦335,500, marked as the best offer, while a higher fare option of ₦430,700 is also displayed.
While on 26th, round trip cost from 575,000 to 766,000.
Domestic airfare has doubled on key routes in the last two years. Despite the surge, the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has projected a rise from 15.89 million air passengers in 2023 to 25.7 million by 2029, with annual revenue expected to reach $2.58 billion.
This suggests that Nigerians, fearful of the highways, are choosing expensive flights over life-threatening road trips.
Still, not everyone can afford to fly. This has created a divide, those who brave the roads, those who sacrifice family reunions, and those who pay exorbitant fares just to stay alive.
Public frustration is also rising. Some Nigerians blame the federal government for failing to secure the country.
“When the chief security officer of the nation is not performing his duty, he should resign. People travelling for Christmas are doing so at their own peril. Even here in Abuja, we are not safe,” an resident of Abuja said.
Ezekiel Ikotun, Managing Director of Finchglow Travels, attributed the price hikes to regulatory instability and foreign exchange uncertainties. “What is obtainable in a well-regulated country is not applicable to us. Airlines increased fares initially because they were unable to repatriate their funds. When repatriation delays happen, the value of money drops, and it’s the customer that suffers,” he said.
According to Ikotun, airlines now build risk buffers into ticket prices to hedge against currency volatility and policy uncertainty. “For business-minded companies with very thin margins, they have to protect themselves. This has nothing to do with the airlines alone; it’s about instability and irregular policies in our space.”
Hakeem Abiola Bakare, Manager, B2B at Finchglow Travels Limited, added that rising taxes and charges are compounding the problem. “When you break down ticket composition, you have the base fare and several taxes, airport charges, fuel surcharge, and now additional charges effective December 1. What does this mean? Passengers will pay more, and it affects their disposable income,” he explained.
Bakare noted that air travel remains largely elitist in Nigeria due to economic pressures, even as insecurity forces more Nigerians into the skies. “People must take care of their basic needs before they think of traveling. The surge we’re seeing now is largely driven by insecurity, not improved purchasing power.”
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Despite the challenges, Bakare said the government has made efforts to stabilise the sector and urged authorities to maintain policy consistency.
He also highlighted the growing call for a local Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility, which would reduce capital flight and lower operational costs. “Sending aircraft to Ethiopia, Kenya or Europe for maintenance costs millions of dollars. A local MRO would keep that spending in Nigeria,” he said.
This surge also prompted the Senate to summon the Festus Keyamo, Aviation Minister to explain escalating costs.
However, he said the Federal Government has no legal authority to reduce domestic airfares despite widespread complaints from travellers.
He explained that Nigeria’s aviation industry operates under a deregulated framework that places fare-setting entirely in the hands of private airlines.
The minister attributed the high ticket prices to several long-standing operational constraints, including limited access to aircraft, expensive leasing conditions, the absence of local heavy-maintenance facilities, and airlines’ dependence on foreign exchange for mandatory C-checks overseas.
