Lagos–London Airfares 76% Higher Than Accra–London Ticket Prices

…Poor airport security, higher insurance costs to blame, analysts say

Nigerian travellers are lamenting the 76% higher cost of Lagos-London flights compared to Ghana and Benin, blaming poor airport security and soaring insurance premiums, a LEADERSHIP investigation shows.

LEADERSHIP checks revealed that travellers are increasingly boycotting the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, Lagos, in favour of airports in Cotonou, Benin Republic, and Accra, Ghana for flights to London, Heathrow, due to a wide disparity, up to 76 per cent, in airfares.

Findings showed that flying to the United Kingdom from neighbouring West African countries such as the Benin Republic, Ghana and the Ivory Coast is significantly cheaper than flying from Nigeria.

Checks on the websites of major international carriers, including Emirates Airlines, British Airways and RwandAir, confirmed that airfares from Lagos to London, Heathrow, are substantially higher than fares from other African cities.

For instance, an Emirates Airlines ticket from Lagos to London, Heathrow, for January 12, 2026, costs $4,107.50 (about N5.63 million), while the same route from Ghana costs 29,385 Ghana cedis (about N3.63 million). A ticket from Addis Ababa to London, Heathrow, costs ETB 542,628 (about N5.07 million).

Similarly, an economy class ticket on British Airways from Lagos to London, Heathrow, costs $3,281 (about N4.67 million), compared to $1,416 (about N2.01 million) for the same destination from Ghana.

On RwandAir, a Lagos-London, Heathrow ticket costs $1,058.70 (about N1.508 million), while a Ghana-London, Heathrow ticket costs about N960,000. A ticket from Mombasa, Kenya, to London, Heathrow, is priced at $677.95 (about N966,000).

Speaking to LEADERSHIP, the chairman and chief executive officer of Dees Travels and Tours Investment Limited, Daisi Olotu, disclosed that during the yuletide season, many Nigerians landed in Cotonou, Benin Republic, and Ghana, before travelling by road to Lagos.

According to Olotu, a comparison of fares on the Cotonou-London, Heathrow and Ghana-London, Heathrow routes against Lagos-London, Heathrow shows that Cotonou remains cheaper.

“I know a lot of people who landed in Cotonou, Benin Republic, and they found their way into Lagos because it’s cheaper for them to come in through Cotonou than Lagos.

“When you are doing a comparison, and you see a huge amount of money in terms of the difference, then some of them will justify that by saying it’s worth it for them to travel to Cotonou, then find their way to Nigeria.”

Olotu noted that Nigeria’s large population should ordinarily make it a stronger aviation market, but excessive taxes, charges and other operational challenges have pushed ticket prices higher.

“We have the population that should be to our advantage, not to our disadvantage. This Christmas that has just gone by, I know a lot of people who landed in Ghana and came to Nigeria from there.

“We are supposed to pay less than Ghana because, talking in terms of the number of people that are flying, you can’t compare our figures, our numbers, with those of Ghana and Cotonou because comparing both is an insult,” Olotu explained.

However, industry analysts have attributed the high ticket prices on the Lagos-London route to poor airport access control and security lapses, which increase insurance premiums for foreign airlines operating in Nigeria.

They argued that many of the deficiencies identified in International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit reports have yet to be adequately addressed.

Speaking on why the Lagos–London route is more expensive than Accra–London, a former Commander of the Lagos Airport, Capt. John Ojikutu (rtd), said Nigeria must guarantee the security of foreign airlines operating at its airports.

He explained that Nigerian airports currently have perimeter fences rather than proper security fences, which are required to guarantee the safety of foreign aircraft.

Capt. Ojikutu, who is also a former general secretary of the Aviation Round Table Initiative (ARTI), added that most foreign airlines conduct secondary screening of checked-in luggage at additional costs, which ultimately drives up airfares.

“I have repeatedly said that we need to and must guarantee the security of the foreign airlines at our airports to reduce their insurance premium. First, we have perimeter fences (Annexe 14 compliance) and not security fences Annexe 17 compliance).

“Secondly, almost all the foreign airlines do secondary screening of their checked-in luggage at extra costs. Adding all these together is a cost to airfares to the UK and many others, as well as from Accra. ICAO Audit reports contain these deficiencies and neglect at our airports.

“Are we doing anything to correct these? These are the questions for the service providers and the registration oversight and enforcement authority to answer,” he said.

Additionally, Olusoji Amusan, a former manager at Lufthansa German Airlines, emphasised the need for stricter access control at Nigerian airports, noting that unrestricted movement fuels security concerns among foreign carriers.

According to him, access to restricted airport areas should strictly be based on the use of an On-Duty Card (ODC).

“Many people who have no business at the airport are freely roaming around, unchecked. Just because someone works with the state, adding the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), or another agency, does not mean they should have unrestricted access at all times. Access to restricted areas should be based strictly on an On-Duty Card (ODC).

“Take the baggage reclaim area, for instance, there is usually more of a crowd there than actual passengers. Access to such areas should be controlled, with supervisors coordinating activities. Sanity should begin at our five international airports, which serve as Nigeria’s gateways.

“These airports are recognised by ICAO and the International Air Transport Association (IATA), as shown by their international codes. We must act.”

Amusan, who is also a former president of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), said anyone without official business should not be allowed within airport premises.

“Outside the terminals, there is chaos. Responsibilities must be clearly defined. FAAN has its duties, while the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) enforces standards on behalf of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). If we get these basics right, within two or three months, the difference will be visible to all.

“Much of what we do is because of impunity. People are not following up on regulations. For instance, I retired from Lufthansa Airlines over two decades ago and if you would like to know, since I left the airline, I’ve never set foot in the office of that carrier. What do I want there? So, because there’s no law, there’s no order. Whether you are retired or not, since you are not on duty, you should not just mill around the airport.

“But here, anyone can just claim to be a staff member of the NCAA or any other agency. Many of them work as agents for various individuals or organisations.

“There should be rules for everyone. However, if there is a need to access the restricted area of an airport in an emergency, you should obtain an ODC. There should be a working system. This is the role of the NCAA. The Director-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is an employee of Nigeria and also an employee of ICAO. The DGCA is both an employee of Nigeria and ICAO,” he ended.