The National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA) says the sale of international travel tickets remains in naira and not dollars.
President of NANTA, Susan Akporiaye said no country airline can impose its currency for the sale of its tickets on Nigerian travelers.
Mrs Akporiaye was reacting to recent reports alleging that travel agents, with effect from April 19, 2022, will commence ticket sales in dollars due to forex issues.
She said no foreign airlines had given such directive, knowing full well that no law in the world backs such a move.
“Airlines in Nigeria did not tell the travel agency community that they will start issuing in dollars because of the forex issue of repatriating their funds, and the airline community did not write us saying from 19 they will start issuing in dollar,” she stressed.
“They know better that the law of Nigeria does not support that. So, no airline would do that.”
Mrs Akporiaye, however, conceded that foreign airlines operating in Nigeria were having difficulty in repatriating their funds back home, due, she said, to forex issues, and appealed to the Central Bank of Nigeria to come to their aid.
The situation was also having a negative effect on their business, she claimed.
“Their funds are stock, the system has slowed down a bit; they have a lot of money stock in the system. That is not too good for us because it is reducing our sales, reducing the opportunity to service our clients properly,” the NANTA president complained.
She appealed to stakeholders and the public to remain calm as the Federal Government would never allow any foreign airlines or agents to take Nigerian Travelers for granted.
Reporting by Nosa Aituamen; Editing by Omotola Oguneye