Price Fixing: FCCPC warns airlines, expands investigations into exploitative airfares in Nigeria

*The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission announces the extension of its review of pricing patterns, the basis for reported price hikes, and related practices that could undermine fair competition in the Nigerian aviation industry

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Following public inquiries, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) Friday, December 12, 2025, announced an expansion of the scope of existing investigation into pricing templates behind rates charged for tickets by some airlines on some domestic routes in Nigeria.

The FCCPC disclosed the objective of the effort is to establish possible violations of the provisions of the law in the aviation sector of the economy.

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The Commission also noted that several consumers have expressed concerns in the past few days over what appears to be “a coordinated manipulation or exploitation in the pricing of airline tickets by some airlines” on certain routes, especially in the South-East and South-South, as the festive season begins.

Mr. Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at FCCPC, in a statement Friday, December 12, 2025, stated the ongoing investigation specifically “targets operators on the identified routes.”

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The Commission recalled that earlier 2025, Air Peace, a major indigenous airline had instituted a court action seeking to restrain the FCCPC from examining its pricing mechanisms.

The company’s legal action followed the regulators’ commencement of an investigation into its pricing model after widespread complaints from air travellers.

The ongoing inquiry is without prejudice to the case instituted against the Commission by Air Peace, stated Ijagwu.

Clarifying the Commission’s position further, Mr. Tunji Bello, Executive Vice-Chairman/Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of FCCPC, stated: “For the avoidance of doubt, we are not a price control board.

But the FCCPA 2018 empowers us to check the exploitation of consumers.

“When we receive petitions or where we find cogent evidence, we will not stand by and watch Nigerian consumers being exploited under any guise.”

Bello emphasised the regulatory Commission would not hesitate to act where evidence shows that consumer welfare, or market competitiveness is being undermined.

Section 17(b) of the FCCPA empowers the Commission to monitor economic activities in Nigeria to identify anti-competitive, anti-consumer protection and restrictive practices that may adversely affect consumers.

Section 17(e) which enables the Commission to carry out investigations considered necessary.

Although the Commission is not a price control body, fair pricing is a core objective of the FCCPA.

The statement noted that the FCCPA Act establishes a comprehensive framework that protects consumers from excessive, opaque, misleading, or collusive pricing practices while promoting competitive markets that deliver products and services at prices determined through fair market dynamics.

Given the arbitrary spike in airfares, the Commission is extending its review of pricing patterns, the basis for the increases reported by consumers, and any practices that could undermine fair competition.

The market regulators stated where evidence confirms a breach of the Act, FCCPC would apply appropriate enforcement measures against offenders.

The Commission will provide further updates on the ongoing aviation investigation in due course, the Director of Corporate Affairs added.

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