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In January 2024, Adamu Gwandu (not a real name) was scheduled to attend a meeting in Owerri, Imo State. He booked a flight from one of the commercial airlines in Nigeria for his trip, thanks to the country’s age-long history of bandit violence.
Unfortunately, the flight was cancelled on the day of the departure, even before he left his Abuja residence without proper compensation.
“I was on my way to the airport when I got a notification that my flight had been rescheduled to a later time in the evening that day due to operational reasons,” he told DUBAWA in a telephone interview.
Determined not to miss his meeting, he proceeded to the airport and booked another ticket, but this was also delayed “without any clear information.” Gwandu, like other passengers, left the airport complex visibly agitated as he could no longer attend his meeting.
Gwandu’s story is not unique. Another Nigerian passenger, Ifeoma Chijioke, recounted her experience. She was scheduled to attend a 10 a.m. meeting in Enugu in August 2025.
To arrive on time, she booked a 7 a.m. Air Peace flight from Abuja, but woke up to a message rescheduling it to 5:55 p.m.
In a hurry, she booked a 9 a.m. United Nigeria Airlines flight instead, only to discover at the airport that it had been moved to 10:30 a.m. “without any explanation or apology,” she said.
Passengers were left waiting with no information until noon, leading to frustration and confrontations with airline staff. Later, the flight was shifted again to 2:30 p.m., meaning she had already missed her meeting.
The aircraft eventually arrived around 4 p.m., and passengers were boarded onto what she described as a “very small, emergency-like” plane without compensation.
As part of DUBAWA’s Media and Information Literacy (MIL) Project, this article examines flight delays and cancellations in Nigeria and the legal implications surrounding them.
The legal position on flight delays and cancellations
DUBAWA’s research established that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Act (2022) regulates the country’s aviation industry through the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA). This agency is responsible for ensuring that airlines comply with standards protecting passengers’ rights.
The legislation spells out passengers’ entitlements in cases of flight delays, cancellations, or denied boarding as one of its key provisions.
According to the Act, airlines are required to provide passengers with complimentary refreshments and up to two telephone calls, text messages, or emails to facilitate communication when a flight is delayed for two hours or more.
If the delay exceeds three hours, passengers are entitled to either a refund of their ticket (to be paid within 14 days) or re-routing to their final destination at the earliest possible time.
Where a delay runs into the night, the airline must also provide hotel accommodation and transportation to and from the hotel.
Under Nigerian law, airlines are further required to provide prompt and transparent communication about the reasons for delays and the expected duration. If a delay causes a passenger to miss a connecting flight or incur additional expenses, the passenger may request assistance or compensation, keeping all receipts and records as evidence.
For flight cancellations, passengers have the right to either a full refund of their ticket within 14 days or re-routing to their final destination under similar transport conditions.
Additionally, they are entitled to financial compensation, except in cases where cancellation was due to extraordinary circumstances (such as adverse weather conditions or security risks) or when passengers were informed at least 24 hours in advance of the cancellation.
What to do when flight delays occur — Experts
When DUBAWA shared its findings with Nigerian legal practitioner Yusuf Salawu, he agreed, saying that proactive communication and notifications are expected from a carrier.
“The airline is expected to establish a clear customer engagement protocol. The carrier is expected to notify the passengers of the reason for the delay, updated information and likely new expected time of departure,” he said.
In cases where passengers fail to receive the mandated compensation as stipulated by law, Yusuf added that there are multiple options available to such aggrieved passengers.
“Some of these options include complaining about the air carrier at the NCAA Consumer Protection Department or at the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC),” he asserted.
Another lawyer, Francis Oche of Veritas University, Abuja, encouraged aggrieved passengers to file an action in the competent court of law for any complaint that the carrier has deliberately refused to address.
“Most especially if the passenger can prove that such delay or cancellation has caused certain loss that a redress from court seems appropriate,” he said.
Conclusion
A review of Nigerian laws and interviews with multiple legal experts establish that airlines in Nigeria are obligated to communicate cancellations promptly, treat passengers with respect, and offer reasonable accommodation or assistance when operational issues cause inconvenience.
This aligns with international standards, and passengers in the West African nation are encouraged to seek redress in court whenever their rights are unjustly infringed.
