The Federal Government has directed that all air ticket sales in Nigeria must now be conducted in naira, ending the long-standing practice of pricing tickets in U.S. dollars.

The new rule, to be enforced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), aims to strengthen the naira and ease pressure on the foreign exchange market.

The National Association of Nigeria Travel Agencies (NANTA) has welcomed the move, saying dollar-only ticketing had excluded many local agents from participating fully in the sector. NANTA President Yinka Folami described the directive as “a step toward fairness and economic stability.”

Local airline Air Peace has already implemented naira-based payments, and NANTA has urged foreign carriers to follow suit.

Analysts, however, caution that implementation may face challenges as some airlines could raise concerns over exchange rate risks and fund repatriation. Visit www.jocomms.com for more news.