The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission FCCPC has announced plans to compel airlines that increased ticket prices during the December 2025 Christmas season to refund passengers who were overcharged.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC Tunji Bello disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. According to him the commission has completed investigations into allegations that several airlines engaged in price fixing during the festive period.
Bello explained that the probe followed widespread complaints from Nigerians who travelled during the Christmas and New Year season and were forced to pay unusually high fares for domestic flights. He revealed that ticket prices which normally ranged between about N145000 and N150000 suddenly surged to between N400000 and N670000 during the peak of the festive season.
The FCCPC boss said the commission found evidence suggesting that some airlines may have engaged in coordinated pricing practices rather than allowing market forces to determine fares.
He noted that a preliminary report from the investigation already found the airlines culpable of price exploitation. According to him the commission is currently preparing a final report which will outline the specific penalties to be imposed on the affected airlines.
Bello also disclosed that about five or six airlines were investigated but declined to reveal their identities pending the release of the final report. He added that one of the options under consideration is forcing the airlines to refund the excess charges collected from passengers during the festive travel period.
The commission emphasized that price fixing is considered an anti competitive practice under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act. The law prohibits businesses from colluding to artificially set prices instead of allowing competition to determine fair market rates.
Meanwhile the FCCPC also addressed public concerns regarding electricity tariff bands. Officials explained that the commission does not control prices but focuses on protecting consumers from exploitation.
The commission encouraged electricity consumers particularly those in higher tariff bands to formally report cases where they do not receive the promised hours of power supply. It also revealed that more than 25 cases have been prosecuted under the FCCPA since 2019 with several others currently pending in court.
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