The Central Results Delivery Coordination Unit (CRDCU), led by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Hadiza Bala Usman, has recommended a review of the draft policy on sanctions for airlines.
This recommendation was presented to the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) in light of the growing challenges related to flight delays and cancellations, which have caused significant disruption for passengers.
During a recent engagement with the Ministry of Aviation and its agencies, Usman emphasized the importance of revisiting the sanctions policy. She expressed concern over the increasing number of delays and cancellations in the aviation sector and their negative impact on passengers. In particular, she called for an overhaul of the current target timeline of 224 days to resolve customer complaints, describing it as unrealistic and out of sync with global best practices. Usman advocated for a more efficient and responsive approach to addressing passenger grievances.
The meeting, which was part of the Q1-Q3 2024 Performance Assessment Report on implementing presidential priorities and ministerial deliverables, also highlighted several other areas of concern within the Ministry. Usman commended the leadership of the Ministry, headed by Minister Festus Keyamo, for the progress made within the sector. However, she raised concerns about the incomplete information provided by the Ministry and its agencies, which she said hindered the ability to accurately assess progress toward specific deliverables. She also pointed out deficiencies in the Ministry’s stakeholder and customer engagement, stressing that these issues required urgent attention.
Following the presentation of the Ministry’s performance scorecard for the year, Minister Keyamo expressed his gratitude to Usman for her thorough assessment and constructive feedback. He assured her that the Ministry would address the challenges identified and work toward improving performance and service delivery within the aviation sector.
The CRDCU’s call for policy revisions underscores the need for stronger accountability and responsiveness in the aviation industry, especially as air travel remains a critical service for millions of Nigerians. By reassessing the sanctions policy and improving customer complaint resolution timelines, the Ministry and the NCAA are expected to take necessary steps to enhance the sector’s overall efficiency and passenger satisfaction.
