The President of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), Mr. Yinka Folami, has disclosed that the federal government would soon stop foreign airlines from selling their tcikets in dollars.
Travel agencies had cried out that international carriers sell their flight tickets in dollars, which negates the rules and puts pressure on the naira and foreign exchange.
Folami said the ‘dollarisation’ of the aviation sector will soon become a thing of the past because government is now addressing the problem.
Speaking on *Creative Nigeria*, a cultural and tourism programme aired on Mainland 98.3 FM, Lagos at the weekend, the NANTA President explained that there is no need to sell tickets in foreign currency again in Nigeria and described the practice as an outdated system that will soon fade out in Nigeria’s aviation industry.
Folami said that this is why a country should have its own airlines to operate in the market and called on Nigerians and urged them to support Air Peace, saying the airline took the bull by the horns by launching its London routes from Lagos and Abuja, saying that it is a patriotic responsibility for Nigerians to support and pray for the airline’s success and sustainability.
During the engaging discussion, the NANTA president described cross-border trading in foreign currency as “a crime against the economy.”
“Those of us in the aviation space understand that until we have a strong Nigerian carrier to stand in the gap, these issues will persist. I am happy to inform Nigerians that the government is squarely addressing the issue of ticket sales in foreign currency, and that is the latest update on the matter,” Folami said.
He commended the federal government’s ongoing reforms and the efforts of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stabilize the naira and promote transparency in the foreign exchange market.
“The outlook for Nigeria is stable, and even the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) have commended the economic policies of this government. The gap between the official and parallel market rates is closing, liquidity has improved, and there is more transparency in the process,” he said.
Folami said there is the need for stakeholders in the aviation and travel sectors to complement government efforts through proactive collaboration.
“We must congratulate the government, but the best way to do that is for us — industry players — to give life to whatever the government is doing. The government will not come into our sector to make the change; it is our responsibility to build on the progress already made,” he said.
The NANTA president noted that the association has over 3,500 members, with 70% of them being youths, remarking that government reforms at the micro level can translate into tangible benefits for Nigerians if more citizens are encouraged to patronize local travel agencies and airlines.
However, he lamented that the sale of tickets in foreign currency still excludes many NANTA-certified members from direct trade with airlines despite their international qualifications.
