At a performance assessment meeting held at the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development in Abuja on Wednesday, the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination and head of the Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit, Hadiza Bala-Usman, urged the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to review a draft policy that would impose harsher penalties on airlines for the rising number of flight cancellations and delays nationwide.
The meeting was a part of the ongoing review of the Q1–Q3 2024 Performance Assessment Report on the implementation of Presidential Priorities and Ministerial Deliverables.
Bala-Usman emphasized the need for stronger measures to protect passengers from the inconveniences and financial losses caused by frequent flight disruptions.
She also pointed out flaws in the Ministry’s stakeholder and customer engagement processes, pointing out that incomplete data on service delivery and complaints resolution made it difficult to conduct an accurate, independent assessment of progress.
The meeting’s details were shared in a post on the CRDCU’s X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday.
Bala-Usman suggested changing the current 224-day goal for addressing customer complaints, calling it “unrealistic” and out of step with international norms, in addition to calling for harsher sanctions for negligent airlines.
The report stated, “She described this as critical given the increasing number of flight delays and cancellations and the impact on affected passengers.
“She further recommended revising the current target of 224 days for resolving customer complaints, stating that it urgently requires recalibration to align with global best practices.”
To ensure faster and more efficient dispute resolution for passengers, Bala-Usman also called for a review of the timeline.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, responded by praising the CRDCU for its hard work and promising to address the issues raised.
Keyamo promised that his Ministry would step up efforts to enhance service delivery and maintain the highest standards in Nigeria’s aviation industry.