Overland Airways has been accused of exploitative and discriminatory pricing by a consumer rights group that petitioned the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over alleged fare disparities on its Lagos to Ilorin to Abuja flight route.
The petition, as seen by Nairametrics, is titled PETITION AGAINST OVERLAND AIRWAYS – HALF THE DISTANCE! DOUBLE THE PRICE! ON THE SAME FLIGHT! and dated August 4, 2025. It was submitted by the law firm A.U. Mustapha & Co., acting on behalf of The Third Estate and Like Minds Foundation.
The groups allege that Overland Airways, which operates as the only commercial airline servicing the General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport in Ilorin, exploits its monopoly by charging Ilorin-bound passengers significantly more for shorter segments of the same Lagos to Ilorin to Abuja route.
They argue that while passengers flying the full route from Lagos to Abuja pay a single fare, those disembarking midway in Ilorin or boarding from Ilorin to Abuja are charged a combined amount that is substantially higher, despite covering less distance and flying on the same aircraft.
“Acting on behalf of The Third Estate and Like Minds Foundation (hereinafter referred to as “Our Clients”), we respectfully bring to your attention a matter of urgent concern regarding the obnoxious practices and the unscrupulous exploitation of consumers employed by Overland Airways, particularly on the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja flight route.
“Our clients are organisations deeply concerned with the welfare and mobility of their members, many of whom are indigenes of the Ilorin Emirate and frequent travellers along the Lagos–Ilorin–Abuja air corridor. Overland Airways currently enjoys a monopoly as the sole commercial airline operating in and out of the General Tunde Idiagbon International Airport, Ilorin.
It added, “Ilorin-bound passengers are consistently charged disproportionately higher fares, despite travelling a shorter distance.”
The petitioners say this pricing pattern violates Section 127 of the FCCPC Act, which prohibits unfair, unreasonable, or unjust contract terms and pricing structures that exploit consumer vulnerability or distort market fairness.
More insights
The petition cited multiple fare examples across July and August 2025 showing Ilorin passengers being charged more than passengers flying the full route.
- In one case, a passenger paid over N260,000 for a Lagos to Ilorin ticket and another paid N300,000 for Ilorin to Abuja — totaling N560,000 for what is effectively the same journey that another passenger flew entirely for just N160,000.
- The groups contend that this pricing model is not based on flight duration or service quality but instead reflects an abuse of market dominance due to the lack of alternative airlines serving Ilorin. They also stressed that the practice has placed a financial burden on Ilorin-bound passengers.
The petitioners are calling on the FCCPC to investigate the fare structure, sanction Overland Airways where appropriate, and take steps to ensure pricing transparency and consumer protection in the aviation sector.
Nairametrics spoke with a lawyer at the Lagos office of A.U. Mustapha & Co., who confirmed that the petition indeed originated from the firm’s Abuja office.
“Since the petition was filed at the FCCPC headquarters in Abuja, it was naturally prepared and submitted by our Abuja office,” the lawyer said.
He added that he wished to remain anonymous as he was not authorised to speak officially on behalf of the firm.
As of the time of filing this report, Overland Airways had not issued a public response to the allegations raised in the petition.
Yes, exactly! This needs to be addressed. I paid N522k for a round trip from Ilorin to Abuja today and I’m not happy about it! This is ridiculous. Something needs to be done about this.
Their charges are crazy and highly exploitative #220000 for a one way trip. This is bad!
Overland is preying on already financially vulnerable consumers. Even myself that’s a bit on the safe side, I’ve limited the number of times I go to Lagos from Ilorin airport from around 20 times a year in the past years to 2 times this year. In the end the airline is the major loser. They are trading long time benefits for short term profits.
This exploitative. ButThere’s nothing like Ilorin Emirate in Nigeria. What we have is Ilorin, Kwara State. Nigeria is a republic not a kingdom.