The Federal Government has invited the National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies to present its stance on the proposed Fly Nigeria Bill, which is set to be debated in the National Assembly soon.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Mr. Yinka Folami, the President of NANTA, during his 100-day report and 2024 year-end review.
Folami, who assumed office as NANTA president in September 2024, shared that the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Festus Keyamo, had extended the invitation to the association to present its position on the bill, which is expected to become the Fly Nigeria Act once it is passed by the National Assembly and receives presidential approval.
Alhaji Aminu Agoha, Chairman of NANTA’s Board of Trustees, represented the association in the deliberations.
During their participation, NANTA advocated for a regulatory framework that ensures a level playing field, transparency, and accountability within the travel trade industry. The association also called for the bill to prioritize consumer rights protection and fair competition. Additionally, NANTA emphasized the need for greater involvement of the travel trade in the design and implementation of aviation policies and regulations.
In its first 100 days in office, NANTA’s new leadership inaugurated eight committees, each with elected chairpersons and secretaries. The committees were tasked with specific mandates aimed at supporting the association’s goals and driving initiatives aligned with its mission.
NANTA has also formed a partnership with the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission to enhance consumer protection practices and ensure alignment with global standards. This collaboration focuses on placing consumer interests at the heart of the association’s dealings with stakeholders and trade partners.
Further strengthening its global connections, NANTA established a consensus with the International Air Transport Association to provide training and capacity development for members on Agency Debit Memo and refunds under the Billing and Settlement Plan framework. The association has also worked to address market issues within Africa, including cross-border trading and anti-competitive practices, and has developed stronger ties with African travel associations such as the African Business Travel Association , the Kenya Association of Travel Agents, and the Cote d’Ivoire Association of Travel Agents.
As part of its expansion efforts, NANTA is exploring a formal partnership with the Gambia Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism in Gambia. Discussions are also underway for the International Travel and Tourism Conference 2025, which aims to equip members professionally and promote intra-Africa development through tourism.
Additionally, NANTA has engaged with key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority , Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria , Central Bank of Nigeria , IATA, airlines, and Global Distribution System companies.
These engagements have focused on critical issues affecting the Nigerian market, including the controversial dollar sales by Emirates Airlines and the trapped funds with the suspended Dana Airlines.
Folami added: “We also established a consensus with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to provide training and capacity development for our members on Agency Debit Memo (ADM) and refunds under the Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) framework.
“Though our engagements with our African counterparts reveal that Africa awaits Nigeria to address and extinguish some market anomalies like cross-border trading and other anti-competitive practices, NANTA has further strengthened relationships with African associations such as the African Business Travel Association (ABTA), Association of Eastern and Southern Africa Travel Associations (AESATA), Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA), Cote d’ Ivoire Association of Travel Agents (CATA) to align market directions/focus, enhance intra-Africa development through travel and tourism by deploying uniform strategies/interventions through collaboration. By this, we have expanded our frontiers of influence and impact within Africa.
“Upon invitation from the Gambian government, modalities for formal partnership with the Gambia Tourism Board and the Ministry of Tourism in Gambia are in process to finalise.
“Discussions that will initiate plans for our International Travel and Tourism Conference (ITTC) 2025 are ongoing as the conference is aimed at equipping our members professionally and promoting intra-Africa development through travel and tourism.”
