Nigeria country’s aviation sector has been ranked third with 674 complaints as received by the Federal Competition, Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC in 2022 according to statistics by the Commission.
Topping the 2022 list is Financial Services with 5,709 complaints, second is electricity and power with 3,293, and telecommunications, with 605 and E-commerce with 508.
Other areas are; electrical electronics with 415, food and beverages, 222, satellite/cable services, 122, postal/courier services, 71, road transport, 69, land/construction, 65, real estate/mortgages 63, health services 52, education 29 and others.
The total complaints received by the commission in its headquarters and across zonal offices was 13, 580 from Janaury-December, 2022.
Sectoral analysis of complaints received by the FCCPC resolved indicated that, out of the total number of 13,580, 3,327 complaints were resolved.
Compared to 2021, the Commission received 10,178 complaints and resolved 1990. Financial services also topped the list with 2,736 complaints followed by electricity/power with 3043, telecommunications, with 510, aviation, with 459 and electrical/electronics with 502.
Speaking on the statistics of the aviation sector, Director Operations, FCCPC, Dr Adamu Abdullahi said, most of the complaints received were on delays, cancellations, pilfered baggage, lost baggage, airport experience, general condition of the terminals, cooling system and discourteous service among others.
“Essentially delays, cancellation, lost and pilfered baggage”.
According to him, the complaints were lodged on their website www.fccpc.gov.ng requesting details of the complainant, phone number and other details to receive feedback.
His words: “Log in, give us the complaints and there is a prompt that will tell you to give the type of complaints off course all your details are there, the details of the channel solved, your own personal details, phone numbers we can get back to you.
Immediately a response is generated that gives you your number, the number of your complaints which you can now use to go ahead and always find out how far the commission has gone in resolving your complaint. Off course you can call through the phone and give your complaint or through normal mail as hard copy you can send your complaint to the FCCPC”.
Adamu added that they have an understanding of aviation and whenever they receive complaints that have to do with the sector they pass it and give a time limit within which a response is expected.
He however frowned at the failure of airlines to let their passengers know if there is a problem saying:
“Most times if you explain to passenger what is happening they can understand but the problem is, operators, don’t get out and tell the public what is actually going on with their operations.
“You buy a ticket you come and sit in the airport hours unending, you don’t even get any sort of information on the status of your flight and that really angers passengers. if you normally carry them along and tell them, these are the challenges that you are facing, it normally brings down the tempers and that is always what we encourage our service providers to do as in the airlines”.
The FCCPC Operations Director explained that, presently, the Commission is working on a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU with the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, (NCAA) and all sectors of consumer protection because they have the core competency and the laws to address their sectors.
He explained that having an MoU with them means that, whenever they have complaints via their portal such complaints will be sent to the sector concerned like to the NCAA and others.
“We are ready, some sectors have already joined on that platform so complaints about shipping now that we already have an MoU with the Nigeria Shippers Council go to the Council, same for others. We are in the process of signing that MoU.
“We already have an understanding with aviation, whenever we have any complaints pertaining to aviation, we normally pass it to aviation and give them a time limit”.
