Worsening Hardships Lead to 60% Decline in International Trips from Nigeria

International trips from Nigeria’s major airports, Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja have dropped significantly. Outbound passenger traffic has fallen by over 60 per cent this year due to harsh economic conditions, according to a Leadership report.

Insider reports disclosed that from January to September 2024, only 816,000 passengers travelled abroad. This is a sharp decrease from 2.04 million in 2023. This 60 per cent drop in the load factor points to a major decline in international travel. The persistent high exchange rates of foreign currencies, particularly the U.S. dollar, have made foreign travel costly for Nigerians. The volatility of the naira and tragic depreciation is particularly responsible.

The price of an economy ticket to the United States was around ₦350,000 before the currency was floated in May 2023. It has surged to between ₦2.7 million and ₦3 million. This steep increase of ₦2.65 million (approximately 57 per cent) has made international travel unaffordable for many Nigerians.

Dr Kingsley Nwokoma, president of the Association of Foreign Airlines Representatives in Nigeria (AFARN), confirmed that foreign travel has declined by 40 to 50 per cent due to economic challenges. He noted that many holidaymakers are now choosing more affordable domestic travel or vacationing within the West African region using buses or personal vehicles.

Traveling has dropped by 40 to 50 per cent. Holiday-makers are now looking for cheaper alternatives, such as vacations on the West Coast or within Nigeria, he said.

Domestic travel has also become unaffordable for ordinary citizens. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported a significant rise in domestic flight ticket prices, with the average fare reaching ₦123,700.14 in August 2024. This marks a 25.51 per cent increase from July’s average of ₦98,539.34, according to the NBS’s latest Transport Fare Watch report.

Year-on-year, the report revealed a sharp 56.56 per cent rise in airfares, compared to ₦79,011.38 in August 2023. Regionally, the south-east reported the highest average airfare at ₦125,640.19, while the north-west had the lowest at ₦121,957.18. The high cost of air and other means of transportation has thrown Nigerians into more hardship.

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