Consumer Protection: NCAA trains staff, to launch portal for air travellers’ complaints resolution

*The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority trains the agency’s consumer protection officers and airlines’ staff representatives on using an upcoming consumer protection portal to solve real-time passenger complaints against airlines operating in the country

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

In a move to ensure the on-time performance of all the airlines operating in the country, the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) has begun training of the agency’s consumer protection officers, and airlines’ staff representative on using a consumer protection portal due for commissioning soon, to solve real-time passenger complaints against airlines.

Captain Chris Najomo, Acting Director-General of NCAA, who disclosed this development in a statement, opened the two-day staff training, which commenced Wednesday, August 7, 2024, at the NCAA Headquarters, in Abuja, FCT.

Represented by Michael Achimugu, Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection of the aviation regulatory agency, Captain Najomo said the portal would also ensure the on-time performance of all the airlines operating in Nigeria.

The Acting Director-General stated: “There has never been a consumer protection portal in the NCAA. This is the first. This is historic.

“When you check the time frame it took us to get to this point, you will see the determination to make it work.”

He also noted the building of the portal started when he was the aviation regulatory agency’s Director Public Affairs and Consumer Protection.

The portal has made the job easier for the 260 CPOs across all the airports in the country, stated Najomo.

According to him, the consumer protection portal is a fulfillment of one of his action points for 2024 because facility speaks to the Ease of Doing Business (EoDB) environment the Authority is consciously creating.

The NCAA affirmed the portal makes the processes of complaints and complaints resolution very easier.

The statement further noted: “This postal is also for data collation. You will agree that data is a major issue in Nigeria.

“In the aviation industry, you can’t make a proper plan and get things right without data. This portal makes it easier for everyone including stakeholders.”

The Acting Director-General said: “The portal will ensure transparency as we are onboarding all the airlines where people get to see all the number of complaints that have been sent to each airline. You can track the resolution process.

“We don’t need to name and shame because it is a self-reporting system. You are already naming and shaming yourself if you don’t perform well.”

He equally underscored the need for thorough training of the NCAA officers and airline staff to effectively use the new portal before its launch.

In her remarks on the significance of the process automation project, Ifueko Abdulmalik, Assistant General Manager (AGM), Consumer Protection at NCAA, stated the portal is in line with the aviation regulator’s automation of its processes amid reforms.

Aimed at automating NCAA’s processes to meet international standards, Abdulmalik said: “In the past, we did it manually, which was inefficient.

“With automation, everything is simplified, and we will achieve better results in resolving consumer complaints.

“We are onboarding the staff of the airlines so that they are also seeing the complaints in real-time. This makes the processes smoother, and faster and the consumers happier because that’s the ultimate goal.”

She added: “Regarding monitoring, she mentioned that both the minister and the DGCA will have access to the portal to continuously track complaint resolutions.

“Additionally, airlines can use the portal to log delayed flights, allowing the NCAA to oversee regulatory compliance.”